Epstein emails reveal 2001 request for 'inappropriate friends' at Balmoral

Emails from August 2001 show correspondence between Ghislaine Maxwell and a person with the alias "A" that appears to be connected to the British royal family, according to the latest large batch of documents released by the US Justice Department on Tuesday as part of its ongoing disclosure of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"I am up here at Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family," the person said in an email to Maxwell on 16 August 2001.

Balmoral is the royal family's Scottish summer residence, a private estate in Aberdeenshire where the family traditionally spends August.

In emails signed by "A" from an email address appearing as "The Invisible Man" with the address "abx17@dial.pipex.com", the correspondence continued, according to the documents.

The person in the email is not explicitly identified as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. However, Mountbatten-Windsor was introduced to Epstein in 1999 by Maxwell, Epstein's then-girlfriend, who was raised in the UK and was a prominent part of its social scene.

"How's LA?," "A" wrote in the email. "Have you found me some new inappropriate friends? Let me know when you are coming over as I am free from 25 August until 2 Sept and want to go somewhere hot and sunny with some fun people before having to put my nose firmly to the grindstone for the fall."

Maxwell responded, "So sorry to disappoint you, however the truth must be told. I have only been able to find appropriate friends."

She added, "Will let you know about some church meetings on those dates."

"A" wrote back, saying they were "distraught."

They added that their valet, who had been with them since they were two, had passed away in his sleep.

"I am a little off balance as not only has my office been restructured, I have left the RN and now my whole life is in turmoil as I have no one to look after me. He was a real rock and almost a part of the family," the person wrote.

"If you have any good ideas as to how to get my mind back on track I'd be grateful for advice. See you real soon … I hope if you are coming over," the email closed.

According to public records, Mountbatten-Windsor left the UK Royal Navy — what might be referred to as "RN" in the email — in July 2001.

Mountbatten-Windsor's Epstein connection

In October, King Charles III stripped Mountbatten-Windsor of his royal titles and ordered him to vacate Royal Lodge, his residence in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

The decision followed years of controversy over Mountbatten-Windsor's association with Epstein. He stepped back from royal duties in 2019 after a disastrous BBC interview about his friendship with Epstein.

Mountbatten-Windsor has not been charged with any crimes in connection with Epstein and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

In 2022, then-Prince Andrew paid a settlement to Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was 17 years old. The settlement amount was not disclosed, though reports estimated it at between £7.5 million and £12 million.

While he did not admit wrongdoing, Mountbatten-Windsor acknowledged Giuffre's suffering as a victim of sex trafficking in a joint statement announcing the settlement.

Mountbatten-Windsor said he had not remembered meeting Giuffre, despite a photograph showing him with his arm around her waist alongside Maxwell.

Giuffre died by suicide in April at the age of 41 at her farm in Western Australia. Her posthumous memoir Nobody's Girl was published in October.

What we know about the latest release

The US Justice Department has released tens of thousands of pages of records from its investigations into Epstein since last Friday under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required all unclassified records to be made public.

The files include photographs, court records, FBI and Justice Department documents, emails, news clippings and videos related to Epstein's criminal activities and his 2019 death by suicide in federal custody whilst awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Among the documents released were images of prominent figures, including former US President Bill Clinton, actor Kevin Spacey, singer Michael Jackson, director Woody Allen, left-wing political scientist Noam Chomsky and others.

None of the released images depicts sexual activity, and inclusion in the files does not indicate knowledge of or involvement in Epstein's crimes.

Maxwell, a British socialite and Epstein's longtime associate, was convicted of sex trafficking in December 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

She was found guilty on five federal counts, including sex trafficking a minor, for her role in recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse.

Epstein, a wealthy financier, died of apparent suicide in August 2019 in a New York jail while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

The latest document release includes anonymous tips submitted to law enforcement concerning Mountbatten-Windsor, court transcripts, flight logs and other materials.

One US Justice Department document from the investigation stated that "finally" there was "evidence that Prince Andrew engaged in sexual conduct involving one of Epstein's victims".

US House Democrats have requested that Mountbatten-Windsor sit for an interview about Epstein, but he has not responded to their summons, which they described as him "continuing to hide".

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggested Mountbatten-Windsor should testify before the US Congress as a “general principle”.

US prosecutors also wanted Mountbatten-Windsor to be interviewed under caution over the sex trafficking allegations involving Epstein.

Neither the British royal family nor the representatives of Mountbatten-Windsor have commented on the emails released on Tuesday.