An email released as part of newly published records from a United States Justice Department investigation into Jeffrey Epstein appears to support the authenticity of a controversial photograph showing Prince Andrew with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse. The BBC reported that the email was written in 2015 by Ghislaine Maxwell and sent to Epstein as a draft statement.
In the email, Maxwell stated that she was present in London in 2001 when Giuffre met several friends, including Prince Andrew, and that a photograph was taken during the gathering. This contradicts Prince Andrew’s long-standing claims that he did not remember meeting Giuffre and that the photograph may have been doctored.
Giuffre’s family said the email supports her account and shows she had been telling the truth. Her brother, Sky Roberts, told BBC Newsnight that the family felt proud of her and believed the document confirmed her allegations. Giuffre, who died in 2025, had accused Prince Andrew of having sex with her on three occasions when she was a teenager, allegations he has consistently denied.
Prince Andrew settled a civil lawsuit with Giuffre in 2022 without admitting liability. The release of the email has renewed scrutiny of his version of events, especially after previous claims that he was not present at Maxwell’s London home on the day the photograph was taken.
