A photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has appeared in a large release of files linked to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, drawing renewed attention to people pictured in the material.
In the undated image, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell is seen looking down and smiling as the former Duke of York lies across the legs of five people. Everyone in the picture other than Maxwell and the former prince has had their face redacted. The image is described as a photograph of a framed picture.
Andrew was stripped of his royal titles in November by the King following controversy over his links to Epstein. He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and previously said he did not see, witness, or suspect any behaviour that later led to Epstein’s arrest and conviction.
The release includes court records, videos, and images, which were uploaded on Friday night to the US Department of Justice website. Users were placed in a queue as the site reported an “extremely high volume of search requests”.
The newly released files also include images featuring Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, including photographs in which the identity of another person has been redacted.
The latest documents further include multiple images of former US president Bill Clinton, and photos of Epstein with a range of celebrities and high-profile figures, including Michael Jackson, Richard Branson, Mick Jagger, and Lord Peter Mandelson.
The material notes that being photographed or mentioned in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing, and many individuals featured have previously denied knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
The data dump followed comments by US deputy attorney general Todd Blanche, who said “several hundred thousand” documents would be released ahead of a legal deadline. He said further releases in coming weeks were needed to protect victims.
The Department of Justice is required to make files related to the Epstein investigation public by midnight Friday following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, New York, in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.
Among the photos included are undated images of Maxwell outside 10 Downing Street and posing with Bill Clinton and actor Kevin Spacey.
Many photos and documents in the release are heavily redacted, prompting criticism from US lawmakers and lawyers representing Epstein’s victims.
