Andrew pictured with Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell/US Department of Justice via Press Association
Records recently released by the United States Department of Justice include an email in which Ghislaine Maxwell appears to lay out her account of the circumstances surrounding the long-discussed photograph showing Prince Andrew embracing Virginia Giuffre.The message, dated 2015 and marked “draft statement,” was sent by Maxwell to Jeffrey Epstein as accusations against both men intensified. While Giuffre’s name is redacted throughout the document, the details surrounding it, including references to London in 2001, Prince Andrew and the taking of a photograph, clearly indicate that Maxwell was referring to her.
According to a BBC report, Maxwell wrote that he was present in London when the woman met “several friends,” including Andrew, and that the photograph was taken during that meeting. She wrote:“In 2001, I was in London when (redacted) I met several friends of mine, including Prince Andrew. A photo was taken because I imagine she wanted to show it to friends and family.”Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse minors, went on to claim that Andrew had visited her home and that the woman was there at the same time, writing:“Prince Andrew came to my house to visit me; (redacted) he was in the house and they met.”
Ghislaine Maxwell explains photo of Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre in newly released email/DOJ
In the same draft, Maxwell insisted that nothing inappropriate occurred and added that she had without knowledge that the woman “engaged in sexual activity” with Andrew or any other “famous person,” and framing her story as a factual record of the events.
Family response and contradiction of previous statements.
Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexually abusing her on three occasions in 2001 and 2002, allegations he has consistently denied, committed suicide in 2025. Her family said the newly released email supported her long-standing account.talking to BBC News NightHer brother Sky Roberts said the document showed his sister had been telling the truth for years and the family felt vindicated by her release.Andrew has previously questioned the authenticity of the photograph. in 2019 BBC News Night In the interview, he said: “I have absolutely no recollection of that photograph being taken… you cannot prove whether that photograph is fake or not.”
Andrew has previously suggested that the photo is fake (Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In 2022, Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement of around £12 million with Giuffre to end her sexual assault civil lawsuit in the United States. The settlement included a substantial donation to his victims’ rights charity and contained no admission of liability.
Emails reveal internal tensions and broader context
The draft statement was part of an exchange between Maxwell and Epstein as they discussed how to respond publicly to the mounting allegations. Epstein, who later died in a New York prison cell on August 10, 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, responded that the writing raised unresolved questions, writing: “Her and Andrew?… What’s the problem here? Why is she there?”Maxwell responded that she needed the statement “as soon as possible” and wanted to clarify that she was “not aware of the massages with Andrew at my house.” The exchange appears to be at odds with Maxwell’s earlier public claim that the photograph was “literally a fake photo.”The broader tranche of Epstein-related material also sheds more light on Andrew’s continued association with Epstein after the financier’s conviction in 2008. Previously released emails include a message from Epstein from July 2011 that reads: “Yes, she [Giuffre] “He was on my plane and yes, he took a photo with Andrew.”The latest documents also contain photographs of Andrew kneeling next to an unidentified woman and emails in which Epstein offered to introduce him to a “beautiful” 26-year-old Russian woman named Irina. Other correspondence shows that Epstein was invited to Buckingham Palace and suggests that Andrew’s contact with Epstein continued until at least 2017, years after the former duke claimed he cut ties in 2010.In October last year, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Andrew had been stripped of his remaining royal titles and would be leaving his royal residence. He has continued to deny all allegations of sexual misconduct.
