Were Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein close? This old program proves it
The 2000 Dance of the Decades gala placed Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell among the royal family’s inner circle at a moment when Prince Andrew still held every formal title. A souvenir booklet handed out that night listed the pair as guests alongside dukes and duchesses, giving investigators one of the earliest documented snapshots of their social overlap.
That proximity never stayed limited to one evening. Flight logs for Epstein’s plane repeatedly carried Andrew’s name, and multiple accounts placed him on Little St. James. Victims later described encounters that stretched from the island to Epstein’s New York townhouse and a London residence. Those details remain central to any discussion of how far the relationship extended.
Dance of the Decades
The June 21, 2000, party celebrated birthdays for the Queen Mother, Princess Anne, Princess Margaret, and Prince Andrew. Staff distributed a keepsake program that recorded every invited name. When The Daily Mail later published pages from the booklet, Epstein and Maxwell appeared in the same printed guest list as titled members of the family. The document offered physical proof that the financier moved through royal circles at the turn of the century.
Continued Contact After 2010
Andrew told BBC Newsnight in November 2019 that he had severed ties with Epstein years earlier. Documents released in the 2024-2026 Epstein file batches contradict that timeline. Emails from late 2010 and 2011 show dinner invitations extended to Buckingham Palace, forwarded reports, and references to being “in this together.” Additional messages contain investment suggestions exchanged after the supposed cutoff. Photographs released alongside the messages place Epstein and Maxwell at Balmoral and Royal Ascot events in the same period.
Recent Epstein File Releases and New Evidence
Subsequent document dumps added images and correspondence that further map the post-2010 period. One set depicts Andrew in settings that federal investigators had previously flagged for follow-up. Another batch includes messages in which Epstein sought to maintain access to royal venues. The releases did not produce new criminal charges on the original trafficking allegations, yet they supplied investigators with a clearer record of sustained association.
Virginia Giuffre’s Memoir and Legacy
Virginia Giuffre, whose 2015 defamation suit first detailed three alleged encounters with Andrew, died by suicide in April 2025. Her memoir, Nobody’s Girl, appeared posthumously that October and restated the claims of meetings on Little St. James, in Manhattan, and in London. The publication prompted renewed public calls for accountability even as the original civil case had already concluded years earlier.
Legal Developments: 2026 Arrest and Title Removal
King Charles initiated proceedings in October 2025 that removed Andrew’s remaining styles and honors, including the title of Prince and the style HRH. Andrew now appears in official records as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and no longer resides at Royal Lodge. On February 19, 2026, Thames Valley Police arrested him on suspicion of misconduct in public office tied to the alleged sharing of confidential documents with Epstein. He was released under investigation, and inquiries remain active as of mid-2026.
Public and Royal Family Response in 2025-2026
Protests outside Buckingham Palace and at Trooping the Colour events continued into 2026, with demonstrators citing Epstein ties. The Prince and Princess of Wales issued a statement expressing deep concern over the latest file releases. The sustained demonstrations and internal family commentary underscore that the scandal’s political cost has not faded with time or title changes.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has maintained his denials of any criminal conduct. The 2000 gala booklet, the post-2010 emails, and the victim accounts preserved in Giuffre’s memoir together form the clearest available record of how the relationship evolved and why questions about it persist.
