Epstein Files: ‘Guest list’ for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor dinner at Jeffrey Epstein’s house revealed

An email has revealed the “guest list” for a “very last minute casual dinner” for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor when he stayed with Jeffrey Epstein in New York in December 2010. Andrew’s visit to the child sex offender’s home was discussed in the former Duke of York’s 2019 Newsnight special with Emily Maitlis.

During the interview, Andrew said he went to New York to end his friendship with Epstein, two years after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution, and added that he had no further contact with him after the visit.

An email from publicist Peggy Siegal to George Stephanopoulos sent on December 1, 2010 said: “George: do not think less of me but I am putting together a very last minute casual dinner for Prince Andrew, who is in New York on an unofficial private visit. Please come and bring AR. The list for far…and we are keeping this private and small…

“Prince Andrew, Woody Allen and Soon-Yi, Katie Couric…. Jeffrey Epstein, where Andrew is staying. Jeffrey’s house is one of the largest single dwellings in New York… it’s beautiful. So come to (redacted) for a very interesting, fast, fun dinner. xoxo Peggy.”

In an email exchange, Ms Siegal added: “We are starting at 8pm. So come on time and you will have private time with Andrew because he is staying at the house.”

Mr Stephanopoulos eventually declines the invitation because his daughters had a fever.

A separate email exchange message to Epstein from an account on behalf of Ms Siegal reveals a private screening of The King’s Speech was also being arranged for Andrew in November 2010. The email from a woman called Stephanie was sent to a redacted address and forwarded to Epstein on November 3.

Set out in four points, it said: “1. As per our phone conversation Prince Andrew will be in the states November 29th – December 5th. 2. We will get a print of the Kings Speech from Harvey Weinstein and have you host a very private, small, no press screening for Prince Andrew.

“3. Here is a list of events for that week: Monday, November 29th is the Gotham Awards, Tuesday, November 30th is the Black Swan Premiere, Wednesday, December 1st is the All Good Things Premiere (sic). We can do it Thursday, December 2nd, 4th, or Sunday, December 5th. 4. Tell Prince Andrew the film and Colin Firth who portrays his grandfather is going to win the Oscar. Xoxo, Peggy.”

Colin Firth won the best actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Andrew’s grandfather George VI in the film.

Challenged on his decision to stay at the home of a convicted sex offender during his 2019 Newsnight interview, Andrew said: “It was a convenient place to stay. I mean I’ve gone through this in my mind so many times.

“At the end of the day, with a benefit of all the hindsight that one can have, it was definitely the wrong thing to do. But at the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do and I admit fully that my judgment was probably coloured by my tendency to be too honourable but that’s just the way it is.”

Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, New York, in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.

Andrew has faced allegations, which he strenuously denies, that he sexually assaulted a teenage Virginia Giuffre after she was trafficked by Epstein. He paid millions to Ms Giuffre, a woman he has claimed never to have met, to settle a civil sexual assault claim in 2022.

Andrew stepped down from royal duties in 2019 after an interview on BBC Newsnight, but the publication of Ms Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, and the US government’s release of documents from Epstein’s estate, brought more scrutiny over his relationship with the financier.

It led to the King officially stripping his disgraced brother of both his HRH style and his prince title.