Newly released documents from the United States Department of Justice have sparked renewed attention to the long‑disputed photograph showing Britain’s former Prince Andrew with his arm around Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of sexual abuse. The documents include an email dated 2015, believed to have been sent by Ghislaine Maxwell, former associate of convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The email, addressed to Epstein, appears to confirm the authenticity of the controversial photograph.
In the message, Maxwell wrote that in 2001 she had been in London when a young woman “met a number of friends of mine including Prince Andrew,” and that “a photograph was taken… as I imagine she wanted to show it to friends and family.” Although the full name of the woman was redacted in the published release, contextual details strongly indicate the subject was Virginia Giuffre. The email also stated that Maxwell was not aware of anything improper taking place in her home the night the photo was taken.
The photograph in question, first widely published over a decade ago, became a central piece of evidence in public scrutiny of Andrew’s connection to Epstein’s network. For years, Prince Andrew publicly questioned the image’s authenticity. In a 2019 BBC interview, he denied ever meeting Giuffre and suggested the photo might have been doctored, also offering an alibi that he was elsewhere at the relevant time.
Giuffre, who accused Epstein and his associates of abuse when she was a teenager, tragically died by suicide in 2025. Before her death, she had made civil claims against Prince Andrew, which were settled in 2022 for a reported multi‑million‑pound sum without any admission of liability from Andrew. Her family has described the newly released email as vindicating her account, saying it corroborates her longstanding statement that the photograph is real.
Buckingham Palace has declined to comment directly on the released documents. UK police previously reviewed related allegations but decided not to open a full criminal investigation into the claims against Andrew. The email from Maxwell appears to undercut previous doubts about the photograph’s authenticity, contradicting public denials made by both Maxwell and Prince Andrew, and it has been described by Giuffre’s family and supporters as an important affirmation of her narrative.
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