British police are reviewing allegations that former Prince Andrew shared confidential government reports with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy, according to a complaint filed by an anti-monarchy organization.
Thames Valley Police confirmed Monday they received a formal complaint from Republic, a group advocating abolition of the monarchy, regarding emails suggesting Andrew forwarded sensitive trip briefings and investment details to Epstein in 2010. “We can confirm receipt of this report and are assessing the information in line with our established procedures,” a police spokesperson said, declining to provide further comment on the ongoing review.
The allegations center on emails released last month by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of a court-ordered disclosure involving more than three million pages of documents related to Epstein’s criminal network. The materials were made public following years of legal battles by victims and journalists seeking transparency. According to emails reviewed by the BBC, Andrew received four official trip reports on November 30, 2010, from his special assistant Amit Patel covering recent visits to Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The reports detailed meetings with government officials, business leaders, and potential investment opportunities discussed during the trade missions. Five minutes after receiving the reports, Andrew forwarded them to an email address associated with Epstein, the documents indicate. The brevity between receiving and forwarding suggests the transmission was immediate and deliberate rather than accidental.
Earlier that year, on October 7, Andrew sent Epstein advance details of upcoming official trips to Singapore, Vietnam, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, according to the emails. Business associates of Epstein accompanied Andrew on portions of those journeys, though their specific roles and identities have not been publicly disclosed.
On Christmas Eve 2010, Andrew sent Epstein a briefing document outlining investment opportunities related to reconstruction efforts in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where British forces were engaged in combat operations. The document contained commercially sensitive information about projects seeking private investment and strategic assessments of economic conditions in the war-torn region.
Official guidance for UK trade envoys explicitly requires confidentiality regarding sensitive commercial, political or strategic information obtained during official duties. The guidelines, established by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, prohibit unauthorized disclosure of trip details, investment discussions, or meeting contents without proper clearance.
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Andrew served as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment from 2001 until 2011, when he resigned following mounting scrutiny of his relationship with Epstein and criticism from business leaders who questioned his judgment. The disclosed emails were sent while Andrew was staying at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse in December 2010, shortly after Epstein completed a 13-month jail sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor. That visit generated significant controversy when photographs emerged showing the two men together, forcing Andrew to defend the trip as necessary to personally end their friendship.
Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, filed the Thames Valley Police complaint arguing the emails constitute potential breaches of official secrets legislation and misuse of position. “These documents appear to show Prince Andrew sharing confidential government information with a convicted sex offender,” Smith said. “The police need to investigate whether laws were broken.”
Republic selected Thames Valley Police because Andrew’s residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor falls within their jurisdiction. The force handles investigations involving members of the royal family when alleged offenses occur within their operational area or involve residents under their purview.
Andrew has not responded to requests for comment on the specific allegations regarding shared documents. A spokesperson previously said the former Duke of York “has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing” and that “being named in the Epstein files is not an indication of misconduct.”
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Legal experts said potential charges would depend on whether the shared information was formally classified, whether disclosure caused demonstrable harm, and whether Andrew’s position gave him legal authority to share certain materials at his discretion. Tim Otty KC, a barrister specializing in public law, noted that trade envoys operate in a gray area between government officials and private representatives. “The question is whether these reports were his personal property as a royal carrying out trade promotion, or official government documents subject to confidentiality requirements,” he said.
The Foreign Office has not commented on whether Andrew’s forwarding of trip reports violated departmental policies or whether any investigation occurred at the time. Officials said personnel matters and historical security reviews are not disclosed publicly. Epstein died in August 2019 in a New York jail cell while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. The city medical examiner ruled the death a suicide, though the circumstances generated conspiracy theories that persist.
Andrew’s association with Epstein became a major scandal for the British monarchy following allegations by Virginia Giuffre that she was trafficked to have sex with the prince on three occasions when she was 17. Andrew denied the claims but settled a civil lawsuit with Giuffre in February 2022 for a reported sum exceeding £12 million, while admitting no liability.
The newly disclosed emails add another dimension to Andrew’s relationship with Epstein by suggesting the connection involved sharing of official information beyond social ties. Previous reporting established they met regularly, vacationed together, and that Epstein facilitated introductions between Andrew and wealthy individuals.