Scottish police are investigating allegations linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s visits to Balmoral with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, as authorities examine information concerning the financier’s time at the royal estate.
Police Scotland confirmed on Friday that it had received information and begun preliminary enquiries into the matter. The investigation concerns the period Epstein spent with Mountbatten-Windsor at Balmoral, the Scottish royal estate frequently used as a private retreat by members of the British royal family.
“We have received information and active enquiries are ongoing but these are at a very early stage,” a Police Scotland spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the enquiries would be guided by evidence and take the needs of victim survivors into account. Police declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
British media reports suggest the enquiries relate to allegations that women were trafficked to the Balmoral estate. However, police have not publicly confirmed the specific allegations or provided details about the information they are examining.
The investigation adds another dimension to the scrutiny surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor’s association with Epstein, whose network of sexual abuse and trafficking has continued to attract international attention following the release of court documents detailing his connections to wealthy and influential individuals.
Mountbatten-Windsor, who was known as Prince Andrew until King Charles III removed his royal titles, has faced renewed scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein. The former prince was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office and questioned under caution before being released. The allegations surrounding his association with the financier have also placed the British royal family under sustained public and media pressure.
Photographs released by US prosecutors in 2021 appear to show Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell visiting Balmoral in 1999. Maxwell, a close associate of Epstein, is serving a federal prison sentence in the United States following her conviction for sex trafficking offences.
The images have drawn further attention to the financier’s access to royal circles and his association with Mountbatten-Windsor. However, the photographs alone do not establish that trafficking offences took place at the estate.
Buckingham Palace has maintained that it does not speak on behalf of Mountbatten-Windsor and has declined to comment on active police investigations.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied allegations of wrongdoing relating to his relationship with Epstein. Meanwhile, a separate investigation into potential misconduct in public office during his time as a British trade envoy also remains ongoing, according to the authorities.
Police Scotland has not indicated when its preliminary enquiries might conclude or whether they will lead to a formal investigation. For now, authorities say their work remains at an early stage, with any further action dependent on the evidence gathered.
