Police Scotland investigating 'information' about Andrew and Epstein’s stay at Balmoral

Police Scotland has said it has “received information” about the time Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell spent at Balmoral.

The force told STV News that an “evidence-led” probe is at a “very early stage” and is looking at the time the former prince spent with the late paedophile financier at the King’s private estate in Scotland.

The Daily Express reported that the inquiries relate to claims that “women were trafficked to the estate in the Scottish Highlands”.

Pictures previously released by the US Department of Justice appeared to show Andrew and Epstein on a shooting trip at the estate.

Located in Aberdeenshire, Balmoral Castle has belonged to the British Royal Family since 1852.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We have received information and active inquiries are ongoing, but these are at a very early stage.

“All inquiries are evidence-led, with the needs of victim survivors at the heart of those inquiries.

“We would never confirm details of ongoing inquiries and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

The former Duke of York was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on February 19, his 66th birthday, following allegations that he shared confidential information with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.

Andrew was questioned under caution before being released under investigation. He denies any wrongdoing, and the police investigation remains ongoing.

Emails released as part of a batch of Epstein-related documents last year have raised further questions about his association with Ghislaine Maxwell and the late financier.

One email, signed simply “A”, appeared to ask Maxwell to find him “inappropriate friends”. In a series of four messages sent to Maxwell in August 2001 by an individual using the name “The Invisible Man”, the sender mentioned that their “valet” had recently died and that they had “left the RN”.

Andrew had left the Royal Navy the previous month.

In another email, dated August 16, 2001, the sender referred to being at “Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family” before asking Maxwell: “Have you found me some inappropriate friends?”

A further exchange in March 2002 saw Maxwell tell the unidentified sender that she had passed on a message to another individual. The message began: “I just gave Andrew your telephone no.”

It went on to suggest that Andrew would be “very happy” if the recipient arranged some “two legged sight seeing”.

Andrew served as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment between 2001 and 2011, travelling internationally to promote British business interests. The role was unpaid, although his expenses and travel costs, which ran into thousands of pounds each year, attracted considerable criticism.

He stepped down in 2011 amid growing scrutiny of his friendship with Epstein. That same year, a photograph emerged showing Andrew with his arm around Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she had been trafficked to him by Maxwell at a property in London.

Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegations and said he had never met Giuffre. However, he paid millions of pounds to settle her civil lawsuit in the United States in 2022, without admitting liability.

Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025, aged 41.