The first known picture showing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Jeffrey Epstein, and Peter Mandelson together has been uncovered.
Showing the three men sat around a table wearing bathrobes while drinking out of mugs printed with the US flag, the image is understood to have been taken at Martha’s Vineyard, as originally reported by ITV News.
It was dug out of a tranche of documents released by the US Department of Justice as part of the Epstein files. The picture was reportedly taken between 1999 and 2000, although no exact time or date has been given.
The image is believed to have been taken before Epstein was imprisoned in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Both Mr Mountbatten-Windsor and Lord Mandelson have recently come under renewed scrutiny over their ties to the paedophile financier. In February, the former prince was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office after allegations were made that he had shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as a UK trade envoy.
Days later, Lord Mandelson was also arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, following claims that he had shared confidential government information with the disgraced financier during his time as business secretary.
Both men were released pending further investigation, and both strongly deny all allegations.
Emails from 2009 appear to show that Lord Mandelson passed on an assessment by Gordon Brown’s adviser of potential policy measures, including an “asset sales plan”. He also appeared to discuss a tax on bankers’ bonuses, and to confirm an imminent bailout package for the euro the day before it was announced in 2010.
Sir Keir Starmer has also come under pressure to explain his decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the US despite having been warned about his ties to Epstein. Lord Mandelson was sacked from the role last year because of his links to Epstein, and later stepped down from the House of Lords.
On Monday, the UK government released the first batch of documents relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment, after MPs ordered their release following questions about how the peer was vetted.
The dossier shows that the prime minister was given warnings about the “reputational risk” posed by Lord Mandelson’s appointment, but chose to ignore them.
In a section of a due diligence report titled “Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein”, the document said: “After Epstein was first convicted of procuring an underage girl in 2008, their relationship continued across 2009-2011, beginning when Lord Mandelson was business minister and continuing after the end of the Labour government.
“Mandelson reportedly stayed in Epstein’s house while he was in jail in June 2009.”
Sir Keir has insisted he was “repeatedly lied to” by Lord Mandelson over his ties to Epstein.
Other pictures uncovered from the Epstein files appear to show Mr Mountbatten-Windsor crouched over a woman who is lying on the floor.
The former prince was stripped of his titles last year and evicted from his Royal Lodge home, after emails released appeared to show that he had remained in contact with Epstein longer than he had previously admitted.
That news was followed by the posthumous publication of a memoir by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she had sex with Mr Mountbatten-Windsor when she was 17. It detailed three alleged sexual encounters with the former prince, who she said had acted as if he believed “having sex with me was his birthright”.
An FBI document also uncovered from the files appears to show that a Brazilian woman told investigators she massaged Mr Mountbatten-Windsor at Epstein’s New York home, after which he massaged her.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor strongly denies all allegations.
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