Andrew went to intimate dinner with Epstein after his prison release, files suggest

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor attended an intimate party with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein months after he was released from prison, files suggest.The US justice department released another cache of documents relating to the disgraced financier on Friday.They include emails from the Hollywood publicist Peggy Siegal to several high-profile figures in relation to a “last-minute casual dinner” for Mountbatten-Windsor, who was in New York on an “unofficial private visit” in December 2010.The gathering appears to have taken place at Epstein’s New York home, where Mountbatten-Windsor was staying.Mountbatten-Windsor previously said the purpose of his trip was to sever ties with Epstein, who was jailed for child sexual abuse offences in July 2009. During the visit, Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein were pictured walking together in Central Park.The former prince said in his disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019 that he chose to meet Epstein in person to end the friendship as he felt breaking the news “over the telephone was the chicken’s way of doing it”.However, newly released emails indicate that Siegal drew up a guest list for what she described as a “very interesting, fast, fun dinner” involving Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein.She invited the film director Woody Allen and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn; the political strategist George Stephanopoulos and his wife, the actor Alexandra Wentworth; the journalist Katie Couric and the talkshow host Charlie Rose. It is not clear who ultimately attended, but the emails suggest Wentworth withdrew because her children were sick.In the emails, Siegal told Stephanopoulos: “Come on time and you will have private time with Andrew as he is staying at the house.”Epstein killed himself in prison in 2019 as he faced fresh child sexual abuse charges. Mountbatten-Windsor has withdrawn from royal life and been stripped of his titles over his links to Epstein.In 2022, he paid a reported £12m settlement to Virginia Giuffre. Giuffre, who killed herself last April, claimed she was forced to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor after being trafficked to him by Epstein. He has always strenuously denied these allegations and made the payment without admitting liability.The files released on Friday also show that Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell sent an email to an address which is believed to have belonged to Mountbatten-Windsor, expressing her condolences on the loss of his grandmother, the queen mother, who died in 2002.It read: “Sweat pea – sorry you had to rush home, and also under such sad circumstances. However much the passing was to be expected in one so old, it does not make it any less sad.“She was wonderful, and I am happy that I managed to meet her and speak with her. We shall reschedule. Love you. Gx.”A reply the next day from the account believed to belong to Mountbatten-Windsor – in which the sender calls themselves The Invisible Man – reads: “Got your message this morning. Sorry to have missed you yesterday I will ring later today to chat. A xxx.”Maxwell is serving a 20-year jail sentence in the US for child sex trafficking.In another email from the same account, the sender asks someone, whose name has been redacted, if they are having more children and labelling them “super sperm”.The email said: “Sorry – I am in LA on my way to Hawaii. Is it true you are having more children? I shall have to refer to you as super sperm!” In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org