Detectives in Scotland have opened an inquiry into the stay of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Balmoral Castle as reported guests of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, following allegations that women were trafficked from the royal estate.
Police Scotland confirmed that it has received information regarding the disgraced royal's history with the convicted sex offenders at the Scottish estate, emphasizing that active inquiries remain at a very early stage. A spokesperson for the force noted that all actions are evidence-led with the needs of victim survivors at their center, adding that details of ongoing inquiries would not be confirmed and further comment would be inappropriate.
The late Epstein, who received a conviction in 2008 for soliciting sex from underage girls, and Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking a minor, stayed at Balmoral in 1999. Photographic material previously published by the US Department of Justice appears to show Andrew and Epstein shooting together on the grounds of the estate. The Daily Express reported that the current police inquiries stem from claims involving the trafficking of women to the property.
The investigation in Scotland comes as several other UK law enforcement bodies evaluate documents linked to the Epstein files. The National Police Chiefs' Council confirmed that forces including Thames Valley police, the Metropolitan police, and Surrey police are conducting ongoing reviews. An NPCC spokesperson explained that identifying potential suspects, victims, witnesses, or additional offending from the material released by the US Department of Justice is a complex, time-consuming process, clarifying that there is currently no single national investigation.
The development follows the arrest of the former Duke of York on 19 February this year, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. That arrest was connected to allegations that he passed sensitive information to Epstein while serving as a official UK trade envoy. He was interviewed under caution and subsequently released under investigation. He denies all criminal wrongdoing, and the probe into his conduct remains active.
Files unsealed from the Epstein case last year revealed emails sent in August 2001 under the pseudonym the Invisible Man, signed by "A", requesting "inappropriate friends" from Maxwell. The sender noted that their valet had recently died and that they had left the Royal Navy, matching Mountbatten-Windsor's departure from the service the previous month. One email sent on 16 August 2001 referenced being at the "Balmoral summer camp for the royal family" while asking Maxwell if she had located "inappropriate friends." Subsequent correspondence in March 2002 showed Maxwell telling the individual she had forwarded a phone number to an unnamed contact, adding that Andrew would be very happy if he engaged in "two legged sight seeing."
Mountbatten-Windsor served as the UK's special representative for international trade and investment from 2001 until 2011, when he stepped down due to intense scrutiny over his connection to Epstein. Although the position was unsalaried, his high travel and expense costs generated significant public criticism. He resigned from the role in the same year a photograph emerged showing him with his arm around his primary accuser, Virginia Giuffre, who stated she had been trafficked to him at Maxwell's residence. Andrew, who repeatedly claimed he had never met Giuffre, paid millions of pounds in 2022 to settle a civil lawsuit she filed in the United States. Giuffre died by suicide at age 41 in April 2025.
