Prince Andrew Hosted Epstein, Maxwell and Weinstein at Royal Lodge During Daughter’s Birthday Party

Fresh controversy has engulfed Prince Andrew after new evidence confirmed that convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein, along with Ghislaine Maxwell, were hosted at his private home, Royal Lodge, on the Windsor estate.

The trio attended the Duke of York’s residence in 2006 as part of Princess Beatrice’s 18th birthday celebrations — just two months after a U.S. arrest warrant was issued for Epstein on charges of sexually assaulting a minor.

It was previously reported that the group attended a masked ball inside Windsor Castle, but newly verified images reveal that they also gathered at Royal Lodge, the prince’s private home within the castle grounds.

According to the BBC, trees and a patio wall seen in a now-public photograph of Epstein, Maxwell and Weinstein were matched to features of Royal Lodge. A witness also recalled seeing Epstein and Weinstein at a drinks event in the garden before the main party began at Windsor Castle. Epstein was arrested in Florida just eight days later.

When asked by BBC Newsnight in 2019 why he invited Epstein despite the arrest warrant, Prince Andrew claimed he was unaware of the charges at the time. “I wasn’t aware when the invitation was issued what was going on in the United States,” he said.

The revelations come amid renewed scrutiny of the prince’s finances and living arrangements, following the posthumous publication of Virginia Giuffre’s memoir in which she accused Andrew of sexual abuse — allegations he continues to deny. The Duke reached a financial settlement with Giuffre in 2022 without admitting liability.

Royal sources say Andrew’s occupancy of Royal Lodge — a Crown Estate property — has come under question after reports that he pays only a token annual rent despite living there full-time. He is said to have prepaid renovations and rent years in advance, but public pressure is mounting for Buckingham Palace to clarify his future living arrangements.

Palace officials have declined to comment on whether Andrew may be asked to relocate. However, sources indicate that Adelaide Cottage and Frogmore Cottage — both within Windsor grounds — have been mentioned as possible alternatives for him and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.

Epstein and Maxwell were frequent visitors to royal properties in the late 1990s and early 2000s. A photo released during Maxwell’s 2021 trial shows the pair at Balmoral in 1999, reportedly during a stay arranged by Prince Andrew. Epstein also attended Windsor Castle in 2000, while Maxwell celebrated her birthday at Sandringham that same year.

Maxwell and actor Kevin Spacey were later pictured sitting on the monarch’s thrones during a 2002 private tour of Buckingham Palace, believed to have been organised by Andrew — though Epstein was not present.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. Maxwell is serving a 20-year U.S. prison sentence for trafficking and grooming minors for Epstein. Weinstein, convicted of multiple sexual assaults in New York and Los Angeles, is currently seeking a retrial on some charges.

The renewed exposure of their connections to the Duke of York once again places his judgment — and the royal household’s handling of his associations — under the spotlight.