UK Releases Confidential Prince Andrew Files Showing Trade Briefings Forwarded to Epstein

The UK government released a tranche of previously confidential files on May 21, 2026 documenting Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s tenure as a British trade envoy — and showing that he forwarded official government reports, including one marked confidential, to Jeffrey Epstein.¹²

Andrew, the former Duke of York, served as the UK’s “special representative for international trade and investment” from 2001 to 2011. The newly published documents include emails — signed “A” and bearing the signature “HRH The Duke of York KG” — that forwarded material from his overseas trade missions to Epstein.¹

What Was Shared

According to the released files, the information Andrew passed to Epstein included “visit reports” from Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen, China, produced during a 2010 Southeast Asia tour, as well as a document described as a “confidential brief produced by the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province for International Investment Opportunities.”¹

The disclosures sharpen the central allegation that has driven the criminal case against Andrew: that, as a public official, he shared confidential government material with a man who had no business receiving it.

”No Evidence” of Vetting

The files were published in response to a “humble address” — a parliamentary mechanism a lawmaker invoked in February, after Andrew’s arrest, to compel the government to lay documents before Parliament. Presenting them, Trade Minister Chris Bryant told lawmakers that his department had “found no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken” before Andrew was appointed, and that the government was cooperating with the Thames Valley Police investigation.²

The documents also show how Andrew came to hold the role in the first place. David Wright, then chief executive of British Trade International, wrote that “the Queen is very keen that the Duke of York should take on a prominent role in the promotion of national interests” — a reference to the late Queen Elizabeth II, Andrew’s mother, indicating royal enthusiasm for the appointment.²³

Background

The releases are the latest fallout from a collapse in Andrew’s public standing that accelerated after the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of Epstein records. In October 2025, King Charles III moved to strip his brother of his royal titles, including the Duke of York title and his style as a prince. In February 2026, Andrew was evicted from the Royal Lodge and arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office; Thames Valley Police have continued investigating and have appealed for witnesses to come forward.¹

Andrew has long denied wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, including the sexual-abuse allegations made by the late Virginia Giuffre, which he has consistently rejected. He has not been charged with a crime. The investigation centers on the offense of misconduct in public office; Thames Valley Police have said that offense is defined broadly and that their inquiry could also examine sexual-misconduct allegations, not solely the sharing of trade material.³

What the Files Add

The May 21 release moves the Andrew story from the realm of social association into the substance of the criminal inquiry. Earlier disclosures established that Andrew and Epstein maintained contact for years. These documents show, in the government’s own records, official trade material — including a brief explicitly labeled confidential — being routed to Epstein while Andrew represented the country abroad, and a government admission that no one appears to have vetted him before handing him that access.

Documents

• House Oversight Committee — Epstein estate records release (Sept. 2025) — The U.S. congressional release of Epstein estate documents, which included material referencing Andrew.
• DOJ Epstein Library — Released U.S. files that include emails referencing Andrew’s contacts with Epstein, including reports forwarded during his time as a trade envoy.

References

1. CBS News — “Here’s what’s in the Epstein files about former Prince Andrew”

2. CP24 — “UK government to release papers related to former Prince Andrew’s appointment as trade envoy”

3. CNN — “Andrew was not vetted for controversial UK trade envoy role that was late Queen’s ‘wish,’ files show” and CNN — “Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor investigation could examine sexual misconduct allegations”