The undoing of Andrew: How 'topless nights' in Thailand and the Epstein files cost a Prince his title

From champagne and topless nights in Thailand to trips in the Caribbean, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor submerged himself in a world of luxury, excess, and dangerous friendships. His relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, filled with secrets, massages, private islands, and controversial emails, was not merely a social connection with a dubious billionaire. On the contrary, it was the beginning of a series of decisions that would ultimately destroy the Prince's image and bring him face-to-face with justice and public outcry. Every trip, every visit, every photograph, and every email reveals a piece of the puzzle behind the fall of a royal who thought his power and immunity would protect him.

The Daily Mail maps the course of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

February 1999 – The introduction to Epstein

Andrew is dragged into Jeffrey Epstein's dirty circle by his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, a long-time friend of Ghislaine Maxwell. History does not record exactly when they first met, but by February 1999, their relations were close enough for him to use Epstein's private jet to visit Little St James, the Caribbean retreat that would later earn the nickname "Pedophile Island."

The Prince's life is at a crossroads: his career in the Navy is ending, and his marriage ended in divorce three years prior. Still charming, relatively athletic, and sought after, at 39 he carries the nickname "Randy Andy." According to housekeeper Cathy Alexander, a few months later Andrew returns to Epstein's island by helicopter, accompanied by a woman in her 30s who claims to be a neurosurgeon. "She was tall, a bleached blonde with a large chest," Alexander later recalled. "They shared a room and spent most of their time windsurfing, sailing, or doing other water sports. One day he returned to the house laughing loudly, saying his guest stepped on a sea urchin and that he urinated on her leg as a cure. 'The royal member did his duty,' he joked."

Andrew reciprocates the hospitality by inviting Epstein to Balmoral. He arrives in July 1999 accompanied by young women. The following summer, Epstein attends a royal dinner-dance at Windsor Castle, and in the autumn, he visits Sandringham for what the Prince would later call "a typical shooting weekend." Shortly after Christmas, the duo travels to Phuket, Thailand, where Andrew is photographed on a catamaran surrounded by topless young women. In the evenings, Epstein and the Prince visit the red-light district of Patong, going to a discotheque called Banana and an "adult" bar with go-go dancers called Rock Hard.

July 2001: Andrew appointed UK Special Representative for Trade

Epstein's traces are evident in Andrew's appointment as Britain's Special Representative for Trade, a position he secures thanks to intense lobbying by their mutual friend Peter Mandelson, despite the reservations of his brother, Charles. The role requires travel at significant public expense, handshakes with heads of state and business leaders, aiming for deals in favor of the UK. It does not come with a salary. As the Prince's only known income is a £20,000 pension annually from the Navy and a £250,000 allowance from the Queen, a mystery arises as to how he funds his staff and lavish lifestyle. Some wonder if he is brokering deals privately.

Epstein's hospitality continues, with Andrew's repeated stays at his homes in Manhattan and Palm Beach. Juan Alessi, a worker at the Palm Beach property, would later claim that Andrew enjoyed "naked pool parties" and regularly received massages from female employees. In sworn depositions, he describes the house as being full of photographs of naked young women and states that he set up massage tables for the Prince daily. "He left us a tip and a keychain from the royal palace as a souvenir," his testimony notes.

March 2005: Epstein accused for the first time

In March 2005, a 14-year-old enters a police station in Palm Beach, Florida, and reports a serious sexual assault. The teenager, referred to as "SG" in legal documents, claims she was lured to a mansion by a friend with the promise of hundreds of dollars in payment for working for a wealthy owner named "Jeff." The "job," paying $300, required her to undress and perform degrading sexual acts. A major investigation follows. The mansion is searched, and dozens of potential victims are identified. Epstein is arrested in 2006 and charged with an extensive sex trafficking ring involving at least 36 named victims. In 2008, he achieves an exceptionally favorable plea deal: he pleads guilty to two prostitution misdemeanors, registers as a sex offender, and serves 13 months in jail with work release for 12 hours a day, six days a week.

November 2019: The BBC Newsnight interview

Following Epstein's death, Andrew gives an interview to BBC Newsnight, which evolves into one of the greatest communication disasters of the modern era. He expresses no meaningful sympathy for the victims. He downplays their relationship, saying it would be an "overstatement" to consider himself a close friend of Epstein. Regarding the photograph with Virginia Giuffre, he states he has no memory of ever meeting her. He also claims that on the afternoon of the alleged meeting, he was at a branch of Pizza Express in Woking. The public reaction is overwhelming. A few days later, he announces his withdrawal from public duties.

2022: Settlement with Virginia Giuffre

Giuffre files a civil lawsuit in New York accusing him of sexual assault, and the judge decides the case must go to trial. Queen Elizabeth strips him of his military titles and royal patronages. Ultimately, an out-of-court settlement is reached for a confidential amount, estimated at around £12 million, including a donation to a charity supporting victims' rights.

October 2025: The lies are revealed

An email sent by Andrew to Epstein in February 2011 is made public, proving they remained in contact long after the events he had described differently in his 2019 interview. Following the revelations, King Charles strips him of his royal title. He will henceforth be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The so-called "Epstein Files" reveal that their relationship was much closer than he had admitted, and Andrew now faces the prospect of being held accountable in court for this entire affair.

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