Police Scotland Opens Probe Into Epstein Visit to Balmoral
The inquiry focuses on allegations that women were trafficked to the royal estate, following the release of U.S. Justice Department documents.
By Austin Reed ·
Police Scotland confirmed on Friday that it has opened an investigation into the 1999 visit of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the Balmoral estate. The probe was triggered by new information received by the force, which described the inquiry as being in a very early stage. Authorities have not specified the offenses under scrutiny or detailed the nature of the intelligence that prompted the action.
The Daily Express first reported that the investigation relates to claims that women were trafficked to the private Highland property. Police Scotland stated that all inquiries are evidence-led and prioritize the needs of victim survivors. The force declined to provide further details, noting that it would be inappropriate to comment on ongoing proceedings.
The scrutiny stems from images released by the U.S. Department of Justice earlier this year. These photographs, part of millions of pages of documents published during congressional probes into Epstein’s connections, appear to show Epstein and Maxwell on a shooting trip at Balmoral in 1999. While the presence of a name or image in the files does not constitute proof of wrongdoing, the documents have fueled renewed interest in the former prince's associations with the late financier.
This is not the first time law enforcement has examined the Epstein files. The Metropolitan Police Service, Thames Valley Police, and Surrey Police are also investigating information contained in the releases. Thames Valley officers arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office based on these files. The 66-year-old brother of King Charles III was held for several hours before being released on police bail.
The arrest marked the first instance in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was taken into custody. Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied committing any crimes. His relationship with Epstein has strained the monarchy since 2008, when Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. In 2011, Virginia Giuffre alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor when she was 17.
The king stripped his brother of his princely title late last year as U.S. authorities prepared to release further Epstein documents. Mountbatten-Windsor was ordered to leave the Royal Lodge, his longtime residence near Windsor Castle, and now lives at Sandringham, the king’s privately owned estate in eastern England. His public standing has faced criticism since a 2019 BBC interview, where observers noted his explanations for his behavior and his lack of empathy for Epstein’s victims.
