Police Scotland has confirmed it is investigating the stays of the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell at Balmoral Castle. According to British media reports, the pair visited the royal residence in 1999 as guests of Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. A spokesperson for Police Scotland stated that while investigations are currently in an initial phase following the receipt of information, all inquiries are being conducted based on gathered evidence with a focus on the needs of surviving victims of alleged sexual abuse.
This development follows a separate incident where Prince Andrew was arrested and subsequently released by Thames Valley Police on February 19. That arrest was part of a different investigative line concerning accusations that the former royal passed confidential information to Epstein while serving as the UK's trade envoy. In recent months, Scottish police joined a national coordination group established by British law enforcement to evaluate allegations emerging from the release of the Epstein files in the United States, which detail an international prostitution network involving the exploitation of minors.
Reports from the Daily Express suggest the current investigation addresses accusations that women who were victims of trafficking were brought to the royal estate. Additionally, photos previously released by the US Department of Justice appear to depict Prince Andrew and Epstein during a hunting trip at Balmoral. Flight records contained in those documents indicate that in 2006, the former prince and Maxwell landed at Edinburgh Airport on Epstein's private jet, having departed from Luton. Police Scotland has expressed interest in speaking with anyone who possesses information regarding that specific flight.
Balmoral Castle, located in the Scottish Highlands, has been owned by the British royal family since 1852, when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert purchased the property. The estate was particularly cherished by Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away there on September 8, 2022.
Sources: ANSA Mondo. ANSA Mondo.