‘Inappropriate friends’ email from ‘Balmoral’ among Epstein release

An email sent from an individual named “A”, saying they are at Balmoral and asking Ghislaine Maxwell for “inappropriate friends”, is among the latest tranche of Epstein files released on Tuesday.

The message, sent to Maxwell on 16 August 2001, begins: “I am up here at Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family.” Later in the email, the sender asks: “How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?” before signing off “see ya A xxx”.

Balmoral Castle is a royal residence.

The emails do not indicate any wrongdoing. The BBC has contacted Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s team for a response. The former prince has previously denied all wrongdoing.

He has also previously said he did not “see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his [Epstein’s] arrest and conviction”.

The message was sent from email address “abx17@dial.pipex.com” entitled “The Invisible Man” and forms part of the more than 11,000 files published on Tuesday.

In an email sent back to this address on the same day, Maxwell wrote: “So sorry to dissapoint [sic] you, however the truth must be told. I have only been able to find appropriate friends.”

A different email address – aace@dial.pipex.com – is listed in Epstein’s phone book under a contact labelled “Duke of York”, a previously released image showed.

A further exchange between Maxwell and “The Invisible Man” also published on Tuesday’s shows the alias attached to both of the email addresses.

The messages, sent in February 2002, discuss a trip to Peru.

Maxwell initially forwarded an email to “The Invisible Man” at abx17@dial.pipex.com with details of plans for a visit to the South American country asking “What do you think [?]”.

The forwarded email comes from an address labelled “Juanesteban Ganoza” and makes suggestions on possible activities including a small lunch and horse riding.

It also said: “About the girls… how old is he? I doubt it that he will find someone here, but we can try,”

A reply from “The Invisible Man” is sent to Maxwell via the other address “aace@dial.pipex.com” with comments including: “As far as food is concerned I am very easy and will fit in with whatever he plans […] As for girls well I leave that entirely to you and Juan Estoban!”

The sender signs off “Masses of love A xxx”.

In a later exchange, in March 2002, Maxwell forwards an email to aace@dial.pipex.com, which begins: “Thought you would like to see what I sent.”

The email then appears to copy in a note sent to someone else beginning: “I just gave Andrew your telephone no [sic].

“Some sight seeing some 2 legged sight seeing (read intelligent pretty fun and from good families) and he will be very happy.”

In October, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor lost use of his prince and Duke of York titles following scrutiny over his links with Epstein.

The US Department of Justice has been releasing documents, known as the Epstein files, relating to two criminal investigations into the convicted sex offender during his lifetime.

Congress passed a law mandating the files be released in their entirety by 19 December.

Not all the files have yet been released.

Andrew has been referenced in previous documents. Simply appearing in the photos or documents is not itself evidence of wrongdoing.

Also among the newly released documents is a formal request from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) dating to April 2020 asking for assistance from the British authorities “to interview H.R.H Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward” relating to two criminal investigations.

One of the two related to Epstein.

On the Epstein investigation, the DOJ’s note reads “the investigation to date has revealed that Prince Andrew may have been a witness to and/or participant in certain events of relevance to the ongoing investigation”.

The document also underlined that Andrew was not a “target” of the investigation and no evidence had been gathered that he had committed any crime under US law.

Attached to the document is a list of areas the US authorities had sought to cover in an interview – it included names and identifying features of any females Prince Andrew met through Epstein and/or Maxwell as well as the history of his relationship with both.

US President Donald Trump has also featured in documents within this latest release including a reference in a 2020 email from an assistant US attorney which suggested he had travelled on Epstein’s private jet “many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware)”.

In 2024, Trump wrote: “I was never on Epstein’s Plane”. He has denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

The DOJ has also said some files released on Tuesday “contain untrue and sensationalist claims” against Trump.