Police Scotland Investigate Balmoral Visits

Police Scotland launched an inquiry into the period when the former Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, spent time at the Balmoral estate with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The force announced the start of the investigation on Friday, stating it was triggered by received information.

The inquiry is currently at a very early stage. Police Scotland did not specify the nature of the information or the particular offenses under review. In a statement, the force noted that all inquiries are evidence-led and place the needs of victim survivors at the center of their work.

The Daily Express first reported the investigation, linking it to claims that women were trafficked to the king's private estate in the Scottish Highlands. Police Scotland declined to comment further, noting it is inappropriate to confirm details of ongoing inquiries.

The probe follows the release of images by the United States Department of Justice. The photos appear to show Epstein and Maxwell on a shooting trip at Balmoral in 1999. These images were part of millions of pages of documents published earlier this year as Congress examined Epstein's global connections. The presence of a name or image in the files does not constitute proof of wrongdoing.

Other UK police forces, including the Metropolitan Police Service, Thames Valley Police, and Surrey Police, are also examining information from the Epstein Files. In February, Thames Valley Police arrested Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was held for several hours and released on police bail pending further investigation. This marked the first arrest of a senior British royal in nearly four centuries.

The former prince has repeatedly denied committing any crimes. His brother, King Charles III, stripped him of his princely title late last year to shield the monarchy from the scandal. Mountbatten-Windsor was also ordered to leave the Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle and now resides at Sandringham in eastern England.

The former prince's reputation suffered after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution. In 2011, Virginia Giuffre alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor when she was 17. A 2019 BBC interview intended to address the scandal drew criticism for his explanations and lack of empathy toward victims.