Email appears to confirm Andrew and Virginia Giuffre photo is real

An email seemingly from Ghislaine Maxwell appears to confirm that a photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with his arm around Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse, is real.

The former prince, who has always denied any wrongdoing, has previously questioned whether the picture had been doctored and claimed he had never met Giuffre.

But in a message, released as part of the latest batch of the Epstein files,headed "draft statement" sent by a "G Maxwell" to Jeffrey Epstein in 2015, she wrote: "In 2001 I was in London when [redacted] met a number of friends of mine including Prince Andrew. A photograph was taken as I imagine she wanted to show it to friends and family."

The family of Giuffre, who died in 2025, told the BBC's Newsnight that the email showed she had been "vindicated".

"It truly does vindicate Virginia... she was not lying this entire time", Guiffre's brother, Sky Roberts, said.

"It's a moment where we're really proud of our sister", he added.

Theemail, released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ), adds that "G Maxwell" was not aware of "anything improper" taking place at her home.

The name of the person has been redacted from the published version of the statement, but the details indicate that it is Maxwell who was discussing Giuffre.

Giuffre - a prominent accuser of Epstein and Maxwell - alleged Mountbatten-Windsor had sex with her three times as a teenager.

Mountbatten-Windsor, who has always denied the allegations, reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022. It contained no admission of liability or apology.

BBC News has approached Mountbatten-Windsor's representatives for comment.

Last year, a July 2011 email from Epstein, published by Democrats on the US House Oversight Committee, also appeared to confirm that Mountbatten-Windsor was photographed with Giuffre.

The message sent by Epstein - who is alleged to have taken the photo - reads: "Yes she [Giuffre] was on my plane and yes she had her picture taken with Andrew."

In a 2019 interview with Newsnight, Mountbatten-Windsor denied meeting Ms Giuffre and suggested that the photograph - or elements of it - may have been faked.

Mountbatten-Windsor said at the time: "Nobody can prove whether or not that photograph has been doctored but I don't recollect that photograph ever being taken."

In the disastrous interview, he also famously claimed he was not at Maxwell's home but at a Pizza Express in Woking.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight on Wednesday, Giuffre's sister-in-law, Amanda Roberts, said through tears that the release of documents from the so-called Epstein files has been a "whirlwind".

"I've felt like a moment of such overwhelming emotion because I wish she was here to see this, she fought so hard and so long and she was still so strong", she said.

Amanda added: "We're proud of her and her accomplishments, but we miss her greatly in this moment, she should be revelling in this moment."

In a statement to BBC Newsnight earlier, the family said they were "hopeful that Andrew will face criminal charges".

The former prince continues to be dogged by his links to Epstein.

The latest batch of documents released by the DoJ on Friday included pictures of Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling on all fours over a woman lying on the ground, while other files repeatedly reference him.

In one message, he appeared to invite Epstein to Buckingham Palace.

A number of exchanges between Epstein, a convicted sex offender, and Mountbatten-Windsor came in the years after the US billionaire pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor.

Epstein died in a New York prison cell on 10 August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.

The former prince moved out of his home in Windsor to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on Monday.

Buckingham Palace made the announcement he would leave his residency in October last year, at the same time he was stripped of his royal titles.

Watch the full interview with Sky and Amanda Roberts on BBC Newsnight at 22:30 GMT, available on BBC Two and iPlayer.