Prince Andrew was seen driving around Windsor Castle as news outlets reported that a cache of emails contained in the so-called Epstein Files may include correspondence involving the duke, raising fresh scrutiny of the beleaguered royal.
The Daily Mail reported that sources said more than 100 private emails alleged to involve the Duke of York are among hundreds of thousands of documents currently being reviewed by the US Congress. A Mail on Sunday source was quoted as saying the messages could be "embarrassing and incriminating" and that the duke "could be destroyed." The newspaper also reported that the duke was keeping a low profile and had been observed riding on the castle grounds.
Separately, the Sunday Times published an interview with film director Woody Allen in which Allen recounted attending a dinner at Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan home on Dec. 2, 2010, that he said included "one of those British royals," whom he identified as Prince Andrew. Allen told the newspaper he and his wife, Soon‑Yi Previn, had been invited by a publicist and that the event drew a number of showbusiness figures. Allen said he had not met Epstein before the dinner and that he never saw Epstein with underage girls. Allen also described his wife's dislike of Andrew, saying she "could not stand" him and found him "such a dullard."
Jeffrey Epstein had been released from jail about five months earlier after serving a sentence related to a 2008 conviction for soliciting an underage girl for prostitution; he was a registered sex offender. Ghislaine Maxwell, a former associate of Epstein's, is serving a 20‑year federal sentence after being convicted of sex‑trafficking offences.
The reports come as relatives of Virginia Giuffre, who has accused Epstein and associates of sex crimes, expressed anger that Prince Andrew remains in royal residences. The Daily Mail quoted family members saying they were dismayed that the duke was "still out there" and "living in a palace."
The renewed attention follows recent publicity stemming from the release of private emails involving other public figures. The Mail reported that Lord Peter Mandelson was removed from his post as British ambassador to Washington last week after emails between him and Epstein were published. The newspaper quoted an anonymous source comparing the potential impact of any Andrew‑related emails to the fallout from the Mandelson disclosures.
Prince Andrew's public standing has been affected in recent years by his ties to Epstein and by his widely criticized 2019 Newsnight interview about those ties. The duke has previously denied allegations of sexual misconduct made against him. In August, a biography, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York by Andrew Lownie, further explored the prince's public image, drawing media attention.
The developments arrived as the Royal Family prepared to host a state visit by US President Donald Trump, during which Trump and the first lady are to spend time at Windsor Castle. Buckingham Palace announced plans for ceremonial events including an open‑air greeting with the king and queen on the Windsor estate, a fly‑past and a Beating Retreat military ceremony. The president's visit will include a carriage procession through the Windsor estate with senior royals, but officials said it would not include a public carriage ride through the town.
Security around Windsor was increased ahead of the visit, with specialist police teams conducting searches of bollards and bins and a sniffer dog seen on patrol. Thames Valley Police Sergeant Amber Timmis told local media that officers would carry out ongoing searches and that the force is experienced in protecting people "of a royal variety." Organisers of large demonstrations, including the Stop Trump Coalition, planned protests in Windsor and London during the two‑day trip.
The records now under congressional review stem from legal and investigative material assembled in the wake of Epstein's arrest and death in 2019. US congressional staff and investigators have been assessing a large trove of documents, some of which have been released publicly in recent months; others remain under review. Media organisations have said previously that documents may include messages from a range of public figures, and any specific allegations in the reported emails have not been independently verified by the outlets reporting them.
Representatives for Prince Andrew did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Buckingham Palace typically declines to comment on matters of ongoing legal or congressional review.