Short Answer
Jeffrey Epstein met Prince Andrew, Duke of York, through Ghislaine Maxwell in the early 1990s. Maxwell and Prince Andrew had known each other since her time in British social circles, and she introduced Epstein as a friend and financier. The relationship continued for more than a decade, including visits to Epstein’s properties after his 2008 conviction.
In Detail
Ghislaine Maxwell had cultivated a social life in British aristocratic circles partly through her father, media magnate Robert Maxwell, and partly through her own networking after his death in 1991. Prince Andrew was among those she counted as a friend during the 1990s. Both moved in overlapping circles of wealthy socialites, charity events, and transatlantic society.
The Introduction
Epstein and Prince Andrew were introduced by Maxwell at some point in the early 1990s, likely around 1999 or earlier based on documentary evidence. By the late 1990s the two men were photographed attending events together and Prince Andrew was a guest at Epstein’s properties including his Manhattan townhouse and the estate in Palm Beach.
Nature of the Relationship
Prince Andrew described Epstein as a “friend” in his ill-fated 2019 BBC Newsnight interview. He acknowledged staying at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse in December 2010 — after Epstein had been convicted in 2008 — and said he did so to end the friendship “in person.” That explanation was widely ridiculed. He also acknowledged meeting with Epstein in Central Park during that trip.
Flight logs and photographs documented multiple interactions. A photograph showing Prince Andrew with his arm around the waist of Virginia Giuffre, then 17, in Maxwell’s London home became one of the most reproduced images in the case. Prince Andrew denied the photo’s authenticity but has not produced evidence to support that claim.
After the Scandal
In 2022, Prince Andrew settled Virginia Giuffre’s civil lawsuit against him for a reported sum in the range of $12 to $16 million. He admitted no wrongdoing. Following the settlement, he was stripped of his remaining royal patronages and military affiliations. He has not returned to public royal duties.
The role Maxwell played in connecting Epstein to Prince Andrew is central to understanding how Epstein built access to elite networks.