An email believed to have been sent by Ghislaine Maxwell appears to confirm that a photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with his arm around Virginia Giuffre’s waist is real.
The message, released as part of the latest tranche of Epstein’s files, was titled “draft statement” and was sent by “G Maxwell” to Jeffrey Epstein in 2015.
She wrote: “In 2001 I was in London when [redacted] I met several of my friends, including Prince Andrew. A photo was taken because I imagine she wanted to show it to friends and family.”
Giuffre, who took her own life in April 2025, alleged that Mountbatten-Windsor had sexual relations with her three times when she was a teenager.
The former prince has always denied any wrongdoing. He paid millions to Giuffre, a woman he claimed he had never met, to settle a civil sexual assault lawsuit without admission of liability in 2022. He previously questioned whether the image had been doctored.
The email, released by the US Department of Justice, adds that “G Maxwell” was not aware that “anything inappropriate” was happening at his home.
The name of the person mentioned in the email was redacted from the published version of the statement, but details suggest it was Giuffre.
Giuffre’s family told the BBC’s Newsnight that the email showed she had been “vindicated”.
Her brother, Sky Roberts, said: “It really vindicates Virginia…she didn’t lie this whole time.” He added: “It’s a moment where we are really proud of our sister.”
In a 2019 interview with Newsnight, Mountbatten-Windsor denied meeting Giuffre and suggested the photograph could have been faked. He said at the time: “No one can prove whether that photograph has been manipulated or not, but I don’t remember that photograph ever being taken.”
In the interview he also claimed that he was at a Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey, on the night he was allegedly photographed with Giuffre.
In December, the Metropolitan Police decided, after a review, not to launch a full criminal investigation into allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor had sex with Giuffre in London in 2001 and that Andrew pressured his police protection officer to find any damaging information about her.
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.
