Queen Elizabeth II’s feelings about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor‘s dealings with Jeffrey Epstein appear to have been revealed. The late Queen gave Andrew her “full support” but believed the former prince’s dealing with the paedophile financier was “unwise”, according to reports of an email sent by an aide named David Stern.
Elizabeth II’s backing for her second-born son came after photos of Andrew emerged, one showing him with Epstein in New York and another with his arm around his late accuser, Virginia Giuffre, who alleged the former Duke of York sexually assaulted her. Andrew has repeatedly and strenuously denied any wrongdoing. He reached an out of court settlement with Ms Giuffre in the US in February 2022, with a multi-million pound payment believed to have been paid by his mother.
Both photos were published in February 2011. The one with Epstein shows Andrew in New York’s Central Park with the serial sex abuser after the billionaire was convicted of soliciting a minor.
Appearing to refer to Andrew as “PA”, Mr Stern’s email to Epstein reads: “Theme seems to be now: PA under scrutiny for dealing with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan (But government approved!), he has full support of his Mum, only dealing with you was ‘unwise’.”
The email, part of a tranche of documents released by the US Department of Justice and dated March 9, 2011, adds: “The dealings to you are now predominantly related to F. and her financial trouble, always quoting her interview and her ‘lack of judgement’ and she will never deal with you again etc.”
Mr Stern’s email, which appears to update Epstein on the Palace’s mood, was sent three months after Andrew claimed in his disastrous Newsnight interview to have flown to New York to tell Epstein their friendship had to end.
The email, which was first reported by ITV, provides an insight, albeit by way of a third party, into what Elizabeth II thought about Andrew’s actions.
At the time of the email, Andrew was under pressure to relinquish his business ambassador role because of the photo of him and Epstein.
Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, had also been forced to apologise two days before the email for accepting £15,000 from the paedophile. Mr Stern appears to refer to the former Duchess of York as “F” in the email.
Andrew stepped down from royal duties in 2019 after the Newsnight interview, but the publication of Ms Giuffre’s posthumous memoir and the US government’s release of documents from Epstein’s estate, brought fresh scrutiny over his relationship with the financier.