It is believed that Prince Andrew first met Jeffrey Epstein in 1999 through his friend, Ghislaine Maxwell. Andrew claimed he cut ties with Epstein in 2010.
Prince Andrew can’t escape from scandal – and King Charles is losing patience.
An email believed to be from the disgraced Duke of York shows that his communication with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein lasted beyond 2010.
Several experts told Fox News Digital the British royal family is waiting “with bated breath” to see if more bombshells will land on the House of Windsor. But King Charles is said to be fed up with his younger brother, who is still reportedly dreaming of a return to public life.
“King Charles III is expected to do all he can to disassociate himself publicly and to make certain Andrew doesn’t appear with any senior members of the royal family,” claimed British royals expert Hilary Fordwich.
“Prince Andrew is pining for his previous life, although he is lucky that he can throw himself into the proud grandfather role,” added British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard. “The royal family and the few friends he has left are sadly burdened with the negative fallout.”
Emails published in court documents appear to show that the 64-year-old was in contact with the American financier longer than he previously claimed.
The BBC reported that the emails are published in court documents from the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). They show that the email was sent in February 2011. The emails were read aloud in a London courtroom, the New York Post reported.
“Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!” said an email sent to Epstein from a “member of the British Royal Family,” the BBC reported. It’s believed the message came from Andrew.
The royal’s attorney and Buckingham Palace didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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In his BBC Newsnight interview that aired in November 2019, Andrew said he hadn’t seen or spoken to Epstein after going to his home in New York in December 2010. Andrew described the meeting as a “wrong decision.”
The BBC reported that the email is part of a court case involving the FCA and banker Jes Staley. The former CEO of Barclays was banned from senior positions in the financial services industry over allegations that he hadn’t fully detailed the extent of his relationship with Epstein.
Staley resigned in 2021 following an investigation into his connection with Epstein, one that Staley said he deeply regretted, the outlet reported.
Staley is challenging the FCA’s ruling. It noted that the financial regulator’s evidence showed Staley’s contact with Epstein and emails related to a “member of the British royal family.”
“The allegation of further contact with Epstein, which is coming out now, will be seen as further damage to the royal brand,” said royal expert Ian Pelham Turner.
While Andrew may be yearning to return to public life, Pelham Turner said it will never happen.
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“Andrew has become so toxic that any future attempt to reinvent himself as a working royal will fail,” he said.
“Without the release of substantial content within the court documents, things hang in the balance for now,” Chard pointed out. “[But still], King Charles and the rest of the royal family will certainly sigh as loose cannon Prince Andrew is brought into further disrepute.”
BBC reported that the court documents showed that in 2011, Epstein emailed, “staley will be in London on next tue afternoon, if you have time.” A response came from a “member of the British Royal Family,” asking, “Jes is coming on 1st March or next week?”
Following a “discussion of press articles,” a message then revealed, “Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!”
It is believed that Andrew first met Epstein in 1999 through his friend, Ghislaine Maxwell. Andrew claimed he cut ties with Epstein shortly after the pair was photographed taking a stroll through Central Park.
Epstein was found dead behind bars in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and federal conspiracy charges. The cause of death was suicide.
“When it comes to his wayward brother, King Charles III is beyond exasperated,” Fordwich claimed. “After this ghastly email… any hope for Andrew is gone. He is a national and royal embarrassment to all.”
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliam believes that when it comes to Andrew and how long his friendship with Epstein may have lasted, the damage is done.
“Andrew’s grotesquely entitled behavior is a major embarrassment for the royal family,” Fitzwilliams explained.
He noted that Andrew’s “catastrophic” interview with Newsnight “was one of the most bizarre public relations disasters in history.”
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“He has not been convicted of anything and denies all the charges against him, but he has never explained the now-notorious photograph with [Epstein accuser] Virginia Roberts Giuffre, taken in 2001,” said Fitzwilliams. “And there’s his bovine refusal to acknowledge error… He is guilty in the court of public opinion.”
“Andrew refuses to give up living in the 30-room Royal Lodge, despite King Charles having removed his allowance and stopped paying for his security,” Fitzwilliams continued.
“It’s impossible to imagine, apart from a funeral, that he could be seen at a royal event in the future. If he took up charitable work, if he took a job helping to manage the royal estates, or if, as he promised to do, he helped the FBI… things still might change. As it is, he exists in a weird limbo. His dukedom could only be removed by an Act of Parliament. Nobody knows what might surface next.”
Chard believes this won’t be the last time the public will hear of another Andrew bombshell, despite his attempts to keep a low profile for now.
“I wish I could say that this is the last shameful Prince Andrew controversy we will be discussing,” said Chard. “But sadly, I feel there will be further uncomfortable headlines.”
Andrew stepped back from royal duties in 2019 after his Newsnight interview. He was also stripped of his honorary military titles.
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A lawsuit filed in 2020 by Giuffre accused Andrew of sexually exploiting her on three occasions in 2001 when she was 17. Andrew has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
In 2022, a U.S. judge dismissed the sex abuse lawsuit against Andrew, who settled with Giuffre. The prince made a substantial donation to his accuser’s charity and declared he never meant to malign her character.
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More recently, Charles has tried to persuade his brother to cut his expenses by leaving his sprawling royal estate and moving to the smaller Frogmore Cottage, which is located inside the security perimeter of Windsor Castle. But Andrew remains ensconced at Royal Lodge.
In November, The Sunday Times reported that Andrew, who was at risk of eviction after his allowance was cut, managed to raise the money he needed to continue staying at Royal Lodge. Charlotte Griffiths, the Mail on Sunday’s editor-at-large, reported that it was the monarch who was secretly paying for Andrew’s rent.
According to reports, the king promised his late mother that he would look after her favorite son after she died.
England’s longest-reigning monarch died in 2022 at age 96.
