Yet the disgraced former prince isn’t the only royal named in the explosive trove connected to Epstein, who was charged with sex crimes in 2019 before dying by suicide while awaiting trial.
The long-anticipated release followed Congress passing the Epstein Files Transparency Act last November.
“Today’s release marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process to ensure transparency to the American people and compliance,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters on Friday (30 Jan).
Still, criticism quickly followed. Some House Democrats argue that significant material remains undisclosed.
“Donald Trump and his Department of Justice have now made it clear that they intend to withhold roughly 50 percent of the Epstein files, while claiming to have fully complied with the law,” US Representative Robert Garcia said. “This is outrageous and incredibly concerning.
“The oversight committee subpoena directs Pam Bondi to release all the files to the committee, while protecting survivors.”
The release includes flight logs, government IDs, employment records, emails, and an enormous archive of more than 180,000 images and 2,000 videos. Among those referenced are high-profile musicians, actors, financiers, politicians and members of royal families.
Prince Andrew’s Renewed Scrutiny
Long before this latest disclosure, the man formerly known as Prince Andrew had faced allegations over his relationship with Epstein. Virginia Giuffre accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a minor, claiming she had been trafficked by Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
In 2022, the monarchy reached a financial settlement with Giuffre, who later took her own life last April. Following the posthumous publication of her memoir detailing the alleged abuse, Andrew’s brother, King Charles III, stripped him of his remaining royal titles, including “Prince” and “Duke of York,” and ordered him to vacate Royal Lodge, where he had lived with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson since 2004.
The new documents reference Andrew hundreds of times in email exchanges with Epstein. One photograph released Friday shows the father-of-two on all fours over an unidentified woman, his hand on her abdomen.