UK police review claims Prince Andrew shared confidential material with Epstein

Tuesday 10 February 2026 - 16:20

By: Dakir Madiha

UK police review claims Prince Andrew shared confidential material with Epstein

British police are examining allegations that Prince Andrew passed sensitive commercial information to Jeffrey Epstein during his time as a UK trade envoy, as the fallout from a major U.S. document release continues to ripple across Europe. The claims are part of a much wider political reckoning triggered by the publication of more than three million pages of Epstein-related files by the U.S. Justice Department.

The documents, released on January 30 under new transparency rules, have prompted resignations, criminal inquiries and public apologies across several European countries. In the United Kingdom, former ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party and the House of Lords and is now under criminal investigation by London’s Metropolitan Police over alleged misconduct in public office. British authorities are also assessing accusations that Prince Andrew shared confidential trade reports with Epstein while representing UK commercial interests abroad.

Norway has been among the countries most deeply affected. Crown Princess Mette-Marit issued a public apology on February 6, expressing regret over her past association with Epstein and acknowledging that she failed to properly scrutinize his background. The disclosures also led to the resignation of ambassador Mona Juul after documents showed Epstein left five million dollars to each of her two children in his will. Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide described the situation as a serious lapse in judgment when announcing her departure.

The repercussions in Norway extend beyond resignations. The country’s economic crimes unit has opened an investigation into former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland on suspicion of aggravated corruption. Authorities are examining whether he received improper benefits, including gifts, travel or loans, during his tenure as head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and later as secretary general of the Council of Europe.

Elsewhere in Europe, scrutiny has intensified. Slovakia’s national security adviser Miroslav Lajčák stepped down after emails revealed exchanges with Epstein containing inappropriate remarks. In Sweden, UN official Joanna Rubinstein resigned after records showed she visited Epstein’s Caribbean island in 2012. Poland, Latvia and Lithuania have each launched formal probes into the documents. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said investigators would review the files for potential Polish victims and assess any possible links between Epstein and Russian intelligence services.

By contrast, the political impact in the United States has been comparatively muted. Although the documents detail past interactions between Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Epstein, the administration downplayed the issue, saying the contact was minimal. Other prominent Americans named in the files, including technology executives and financiers, have largely avoided professional consequences.

Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie, a co-sponsor of the transparency legislation, has called for Lutnick’s resignation, but the response in Washington has so far fallen well short of the sweeping political and legal consequences unfolding across Europe.