The release of a definitive three-million-page cache by the US Department of Justice has sent shockwaves through the British establishment. Comprising 180,000 images and 2,000 videos, the files provide a harrowing insight into the systematic abuse of underage girls on Little Saint James, Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island.
For the UK, however, the "paedophile island" revelations have shifted from distant American scandal to a domestic crisis, exposing the alarming depth of Epstein’s reach into the heart of the British government and the Royal Family.
The fall of the ‘Prince of Darkness’
In a stunning political development, Lord Peter Mandelson has resigned from the House of Lords. The move follows a series of leaked emails linking him to the convicted sex offender, including messages that suggest the sharing of confidential UK government information.
The resignation was precipitated by an intervention from Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The PM reportedly passed a dossier to the police after it emerged that Mandelson, while serving as Business Secretary under Gordon Brown, had forwarded government briefings to Epstein. These documents allegedly included sensitive material regarding the global financial crisis, potential £20bn government asset sales, and early details of a €500bn European bailout.
Starmer expressed his "appall" at the disclosures, ordering legislation to strip Mandelson of his peerage as a matter of urgency. The Metropolitan Police is now reviewing the material to determine if a full criminal investigation is warranted.
Further damaging the reputation of the man once known as the "Prince of Darkness," the US disclosures suggest Epstein paid $75,000 into accounts linked to Mandelson and sent £10,000 to his partner in 2009. This follows Mandelson’s removal as the UK’s ambassador to Washington in September, after a "birthday book" for Epstein surfaced in which Mandelson described the financier as his "best pal."
A royal crisis
The fallout for the Royal Family has intensified as new leaks contradict previous public statements. Despite Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s 2011 insistence to the BBC that he had severed ties with Epstein, surfaced emails from that same year suggest the pair remained in close contact, with Andrew allegedly telling the financier they were "in this together."
The latest trove includes three undated photographs showing the former prince leaning over a redacted female figure. While these images lack definitive context, they have reignited the fury surrounding the 2001 photograph of Andrew with Ghislaine Maxwell and Virginia Giuffre. Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, alleged in her posthumous memoir that Andrew abused her when she was 17, claiming he viewed such exploitation as his "birthright."
While Andrew continues to deny the allegations, the civil settlement he paid to Giuffre in 2022 remains a permanent stain on his reputation. Political pressure is mounting for Andrew to cooperate with the House Oversight Committee, with Keir Starmer urging a "victim-centred" approach.
Presence without proof
Being named in Jeffrey Epstein’s files does not imply criminal involvement. Often, inclusion reflects Epstein’s obsession with connecting to influential figures rather than shared wrongdoing.
The new records reveal his efforts to link the Indian elite with the West. Anil Ambani, Reliance Group chairman, appears in emails discussing US-India relations and seeking Epstein’s help to access Donald Trump’s circle ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2017 Washington visit. Similarly, former diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri, who joined the BJP in 2014, features in exchanges about investment opportunities; he has said his meetings with Epstein were strictly business-focused.
Other notable names include filmmaker Mira Nair and wellness guru Deepak Chopra. Nair is listed for attending a 2009 after-party at Ghislaine Maxwell’s townhouse, while Epstein sent Chopra a news link in 2016 with no recorded response. Analysts note that Epstein often engaged in “unidirectional” outreach, sending unsolicited messages to maintain the appearance of influence, with little indication of deeper involvement.
Who was Jeffrey Epstein?
Jeffrey Epstein was a financier whose career began at the Dalton School before he moved into the high-stakes world of Bear Stearns. He eventually managed the fortunes of ultra-high-net-worth individuals, most notably Leslie Wexner.
However, this financial prestige masked a predator. After a lenient 2008 plea deal in Florida, Epstein was re-arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges involving girls as young as 14. His death by suicide in a New York cell that August ended the criminal case against him but began a years-long effort to unmask the powerful enablers who inhabited his world.
