Prince Andrew’s Continued Freedom Raises Questions of Privilege as Epstein Files Keep Naming Him
By UK & Commonwealth Affairs Reporter
Published in an international affairs outlet, March 2026
Prince Andrew has attended royal family gatherings, walked in public parks and appeared at private events over the past year without any active criminal investigation or formal police interview, despite repeated mentions of his name in newly unsealed Jeffrey Epstein documents.
The most recent releases under the 2026 U.S. Epstein Files Transparency Act (January–March 2026) once again place the Duke of York in the frame. Unredacted flight logs confirm multiple trips on Epstein’s private aircraft between 1999 and 2002. Emails and messages show Epstein referring to Andrew as a “mutual friend” in correspondence with business contacts and noting his availability for meetings in New York and London. No material made public so far contains direct evidence of criminal conduct by the Prince.
Metropolitan Police opened Operation Tangle in 2019 after Virginia Giuffre’s allegations became public. The investigation was formally closed in 2020 with the statement that “no further action” would be taken. A police spokesperson confirmed in February 2026 that the MPS “has no active investigation into Prince Andrew in relation to Jeffrey Epstein” and would assess any genuinely new evidence “in the normal way.” No request for interview has been made since 2019.
Buckingham Palace has maintained that the Prince denies any wrongdoing and has stepped back from public duties since 2020. He retains his private royal title and residence at Royal Lodge, Windsor, but no longer performs official engagements on behalf of the Crown. King Charles III has made no public comment on the matter since early 2022.
The disparity between Andrew’s continued liberty and the ongoing trauma described by Epstein survivors has fuelled criticism of perceived two-tier justice. Giuffre, who settled a civil claim against Andrew in 2022, died by suicide in April 2025. Other accusers have spoken of years of shame, fear and institutional indifference. Advocacy groups argue that the absence of renewed questioning sends a damaging message when allegations involve royalty.
Public sentiment in Britain is split. Recent polls show roughly 55–60% of respondents believe Andrew should face further questioning if credible new material emerges, while a substantial minority views the matter as closed. Protests at royal events — including Commonwealth Day 2026 — have featured photographs of Giuffre and signs demanding “Justice, not silence.”
The Epstein files themselves have not produced new criminal evidence against Andrew. Most references are social or logistical. No previously unseen photographs, recordings or witness statements implicating him in criminal acts have been made public in the 2026 releases. The documents do, however, keep the spotlight on how wealth and status can create protective distance around allegations.
Legal experts point out significant obstacles to any future criminal case in the UK: statutes of limitations for most relevant offences have expired, and any prosecution would face formidable diplomatic and constitutional hurdles. Extradition to the United States would be even more difficult.
For now, Prince Andrew continues to live privately but visibly — walking in Windsor Great Park, attending family events, appearing at occasional private functions — while Epstein’s survivors and their advocates wait for answers that have remained elusive for nearly seven years.
The question that persists is not only whether Andrew will ever face formal questioning, but whether the British legal and political system is capable of treating a senior royal with the same impartiality it applies to ordinary citizens when serious allegations are involved.
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