Andrew had Queen’s ‘full support’, royal aide suggests in Epstein files email

A close aide to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor told Jeffrey Epstein the former prince had the Queen’s “full support” but suggested she felt his continued relationship with the convicted paedophile was “unwise”, an email from the Epstein files shows.

An email sent to the disgraced financier by royal aide David Stern in March 2011 suggests he believed Andrew still had his mother’s backing despite being linked to Epstein after his conviction.

At the time, Andrew was under fire for his continued association with the billionaire after photographs emerged of the pair walking in New York’s Central Park in 2010, following Epstein’s release from prison.

And a photograph that appeared to show Andrew with his arm around accuser Virginia Giuffre, published in February 2011, intensified public pressure.

Mr Stern’s email, sent on March 9 2011, read: “Theme seems to be now: PA under scrutiny for dealing with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan (but government approved!), he has full support of his Mum, only dealing with you was ‘unwise’.

“The dealings to you are now predominately related F. and her financial trouble, always quoting her interview and her ‘lack of judgement’ and she will never deal with you again etc.”

Emails released in the files suggest Mr Stern and Epstein were in regular correspondence, with the financier asking the aide for favours such as organising entertainment for his then-girlfriend’s trip to London.

In April 2016, Epstein emailed Mr Stern to tell him he would “appreciate any help” he could give Karyna Shuliak and a friend, whose name is redacted, during their trip.

Details in Mr Stern’s emails to Ms Shuliak may point to a visit to Buckingham Palace, though such a trip is not mentioned explicitly.

Mr Stern was then director of Andrew’s Pitch@Palace business network, which was registered at the palace.

“I will try but not sure it will work on such notice,” Mr Stern wrote in one email to Ms Shuliak, in which he also requested the women’s full names as they appeared on their passports.

On April 19 2016, Mr Stern wrote to Ms Shuliak: “We meet tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10:45 outside Green Park Station on the park side.

“We then go to Changing of the Guards. You MUST both take picture I.D and the dress code is formal so no jeans or sneakers etc (I know it’s annoying but it’s very strict).”

Epstein wrote to Mr Stern to say he appreciated what he had planned, to which the aide replied: “My pleasure. I am always on your team !!”.

On an earlier occasion, Mr Stern suggested he and Epstein could capitalise on Andrew’s “aura and access” to jointly set up a private wealth management business in London.

He wrote of his plan in an email sent on July 24 2010, suggesting: “We very discreetly make PA part of it and use his ‘aura and access’, you make/decide on the investments and I manage the day to day operations/Chinese client management & acquisition.”

Other emails show Mr Stern made offers to set up meetings between Andrew and Epstein’s business associates.

“Have PA invite him to the palace,” Epstein instructed Mr Stern in one November 2015 email, appearing to refer to American banker Jes Staley, who has since been banned from holding top City jobs over his ties to Epstein.

Andrew has strongly denied any wrongdoing.