Police Scotland confirms 'active inquiries' into Andrew and Epstein's Balmoral stays over claims women were trafficked to the King's estate
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who Police Scotland says was present at Balmoral alongside convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell during the period now under active investigation.Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, whose visits to Balmoral are said to date to 1999, as Police Scotland describes its trafficking inquiry as at a "very early stage.
Women were reportedly trafficked to Balmoral itself — a step beyond earlier flight-log inquiries — with claims that Epstein and Maxwell brought victims to the King's private Aberdeenshire estate during stays hosted by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Andrew, 66, denies all wrongdoing and has not been charged; he was stripped of his royal titles and arrested in February on a separate misconduct-in-public-office allegation over claims he shared sensitive information with Epstein as trade envoy.
At least nine UK forces, including Thames Valley, the Met and Surrey, are running parallel Epstein-files investigations coordinated by the NPCC.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham refused to be drawn in, saying police investigations 'should properly be independent' when pressed by reporters.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney said he 'understands the seriousness' of the Balmoral allegations and called it an operational matter for Police Scotland.
