Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor appears to have knowingly shared confidential information with Jeffrey Epstein from his official work as trade envoy in 2010 and 2011, according to material in the latest release of files in the US seen by the BBC.
Emails from the recently-released batch of Epstein files show the former prince passing on reports of visits to Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam and confidential details of investment opportunities.
Under official guidance, trade envoys have a duty of confidentiality over sensitive, commercial, or political information about their official visits.
The former Duke of York, who served as trade envoy between 2001 and 2011,has been contacted for comment but is yet to respond.
Andrew has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Being named in the Epstein files is not an indication of misconduct.
The emails indicate that on 7 October 2010, Andrew sent Epstein details of his official upcoming trips as trade envoy to Singapore, Vietnam, Shenzhen in China and Hong Kong, where he was accompanied by business associates of Epstein.
After the trip, on 30 November, he appears to have forwarded official reports of those visits sent by his then-special assistant, Amit Patel, to Epstein, five minutes after receiving them.
Andrew told BBC Newsnight in 2019 that he last saw Epstein in New York in early December 2010 to tell the disgraced financier he was breaking off the friendship.
However, on Christmas Eve that year, he emailed Epstein a confidential briefing on investment opportunities in the reconstruction of Helmand Province, Afghanistan, which was overseen at the time by British armed forces and funded by UK government money.
By this time, Epstein was already a convicted sex offender.
Sir Vince Cable, who was then business secretary, said: “I was unaware of Andrew… sharing information about investment opportunities [in Afghanistan] before, this is the first I’ve heard of it.”
In a further email dated 9 February 2011, Andrew suggests Epstein might invest in a private equity firm he visited a week before.
Official terms of reference for trade envoys state that they “are not civil servants”, adding: “However, the role of a Trade Envoy carries with it a duty of confidentiality in relation to information received. This may include sensitive, commercial, or political information shared about relevant markets/visits.
“This duty of confidentiality will continue to apply after the expiry of their term of office. In addition, the Official Secrets Acts 1911 and 1989 will apply.”
Andrew has faced years of scrutiny over his past friendship with Epstein.
He was stripped of his royal titles in October last year following increasing numbers of questions about his links to the late, convicted sex offender.
Source: BBC
