Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender and financier, was photographed in the Royal Box at Ascot alongside Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother in June 2000, according to newly surfaced evidence discovered in Epstein's Manhattan residence. The image, featuring Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Prince Andrew, was taken on Ladies' Day at one of the monarchy's most exclusive events and raises new scrutiny over the depth of Epstein's ties to the British royal family.
The photograph was found prominently displayed in the main corridor of Epstein's $60 million townhouse in New York City. The placement of the image among portraits of other global elites - including the Pope, Fidel Castro, Mick Jagger, and Sir Richard Branson - appears to have served as a personal endorsement of Epstein's access to power. "This was no accident," a source said, according to The Mirror. "That image was positioned to be seen. It was a clear statement of the access and influence Jeff had cultivated."
The Royal Box at Ascot is a tightly controlled area, typically reserved for close members of the royal family and their invited guests. The discovery that Epstein attended with Prince Andrew - on a day when both the Queen and Queen Mother were present - is among the most direct demonstrations yet of Epstein's presence inside the royal circle. The image's presence in Epstein's home has been interpreted by sources as a "badge of legitimacy" used to promote his influence.
Prince Andrew's connection to Epstein has long been the subject of legal and media scrutiny. Epstein's New York mansion - where the photo was recovered - is the same property in which Virginia Giuffre alleges she was forced to have sex with Andrew. The Duke of York has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. Andrew settled a civil lawsuit brought by Giuffre in 2022, reportedly paying her £12 million without admitting liability.
That property was also where Johanna Sjoberg alleged that Andrew groped her breast in 2001 while seated beside a puppet of the Duke, a claim he also denies. The emergence of the Royal Ascot photo adds to a growing timeline of Epstein's invitations into royal life facilitated by Andrew.
Prior to Ascot, Epstein and Maxwell were photographed in 1999 at Balmoral Castle, the Queen's private Scottish estate, during a visit arranged by Prince Andrew. In June 2000 - the same month as the Ascot image - Epstein attended Andrew's 40th birthday celebration at Windsor Castle, a formal event hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. Andrew acknowledged during his 2019 BBC Newsnight interview that Epstein attended at his personal invitation. "Certainly at my invitation, not at the Royal Family's invitation," the Duke stated, adding that "it was his girlfriend [Ghislaine Maxwell] that was the key element in this."
Later that year, Andrew also hosted a shooting weekend at Sandringham, the monarch's Norfolk estate, with Epstein again among the attendees. The Prince told Newsnight the event "was just a straightforward shooting weekend," denying it was tied to Maxwell's birthday despite reports.
Balmoral, Windsor, and Sandringham are private royal properties not typically accessible without invitation from a member of the Royal Family. Epstein's repeated inclusion at such events illustrates the trust and legitimacy extended to him within Andrew's social circle at the time.
Epstein was convicted in 2008 of procuring a minor for prostitution but continued to mingle with elite figures for years afterward. He was arrested again in 2019 on federal child trafficking charges and died by suicide in a New York jail while awaiting trial.
