Epstein- Maxwell files reveal first meeting and royal ties to Sandringham

New documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday provide new details about how Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell first met and document what prosecutors describe as an expansive relationship that extended into the late 1990s. The files also show Prince Andrew hosting Epstein and Maxwell at Sandringham, as well as other royal-linked appearances, raising fresh questions about the breadth of the royal circle's involvement with Epstein’s network.

Epstein's account of the early years, reflected in a formal memo produced during his 2006 Florida case, describes meeting Maxwell in New York in the early 1990s through mutual friends. At the time, Epstein was working as a wealth manager, and Maxwell had moved to Manhattan to launch a magazine tied to her father's media empire. The files note that Robert Maxwell disappeared from a yacht amid allegations of pension fund shortfalls, a family crisis that left Maxwell and her siblings with severe financial difficulties. The memo suggests Epstein offered support to Maxwell during that period, including books and social outings intended to ease her grief as she built her career in the United States.

The DOJ documents also indicate Maxwell emailed Epstein about discussions with a CIA agent aimed at recovering assets from her late father’s fortune. Epstein writes that their relationship grew more intimate over time and continued into the mid-to-late 1990s. He asserts that he helped Maxwell secure a loan to help her establish herself in business, a loan she allegedly repaid. The files show Maxwell is said to have received payments from Epstein totaling more than 30 million, a figure prosecutors consider an underestimate, and the documents recount that Maxwell even boasted to one of Epstein’s victims that Epstein had purchased her a New York City townhouse.

Several images accompany the files, including photographs that place Maxwell and Epstein in settings tied to the British elite and the royal family. The materials show Maxwell outside Number 10 Downing Street and at Balmoral in Scotland, as well as together at Royal Ascot in 2000. They also depict Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor hosting Epstein at Sandringham during the Christmas period. One widely circulated photo shows Epstein and Maxwell with Andrew at Sandringham, with Andrew reclining at a piano-side sofa while five women sit nearby; Maxwell stands behind him, with another unidentified woman partially obscured.

While the precise timing of many images remains unclear, the release confirms that Andrew participated in social occasions involving Epstein and Maxwell, and it notes that Epstein and Maxwell joined the royal party for a pheasant shoot on the Sandringham estate in 2000 and for a birthday gathering for Maxwell that December. A separate image shows Andrew at Royal Ascot with Epstein and Maxwell in 2000.

The documents also indicate that Andrew’s association with Epstein extended into other public events, including appearances at Balmoral in 1999. The DOJ's release comes as part of a broader trove of about 300,000 documents related to Epstein and his associates, a dataset that includes numerous photographs and accounts of young women involved in Epstein’s network. The materials have prompted renewed scrutiny of the royal family’s proximity to Epstein’s circle, though prosecutors have not alleged that any member of the royal family engaged in illegal trafficking.

Maxwell, now 63, is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in trafficking and recruiting minors for Epstein. The new documents portray a relationship that extended beyond business or social courtesy, suggesting a deeply entangled network that spanned financial, social, and political circles. The disclosures come as prosecutors and defense teams continue to litigate ongoing cases tied to Epstein's network and the broader questions surrounding accountability for powerful individuals connected to Epstein.