Prince Andrew welcomed Jeffrey Epstein to Royal Ascot box with the Queen

Prince Andrew welcomed his paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein into the Royal Box at Ascot - alongside her Majesty the Queen and the Queen Mother.

The discovery that the sex offender was in the company of the monarch and her beloved mum pours even greater humiliation on the royal family than was first understood. A picture of Epstein, alongside Andrew and convicted teen sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, while inside the highly protected royal enclosure, took pride of place in the paedophile's ‘House of Horrors’.

The image, taken on Ladies’ Day on June 22, 2000, shows the Duke of York alongside the American financier and the disgraced British socialite in an invitation-only area strictly reserved for members of the monarchy and their guests. The photograph was discovered during a search of Epstein’s £60 million Manhattan mansion, where underage girls were trafficked and abused.

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It was placed in the residence's main corridor, surrounded by images of Epstein with other high-profile figures, including the Pope, Fidel Castro, Sir Richard Branson, and Mick Jagger. But sources say Epstein treated Prince Andrew's photo - taken at one of Britain’s most prestigious royal events - as a personal badge of legitimacy and protection.

“This was no accident,” said a source. “That image was positioned to be seen. It was a clear statement of the access and influence Jeff had cultivated. He had it positioned in front of pictures with some of the world’s most powerful and rich men; that is what his friendship with Andrew meant. Jeff wanted everyone and anyone to know he was connected to the royals. He joined Andrew on the day the Queen and her mother were there. He would tell anyone.”

The Manhattan property, where the picture was displayed, was not only Epstein’s primary residence but also where Andrew stayed while visiting New York. Court documents, witness testimony and the royal’s own words place the Duke inside the house on multiple occasions.

It is also where Andrew’s sex abuse accuser, Virginia Giuffre, claimed she had sex with the royal at the behest of Epstein. The Prince repeatedly and vehemently denied her claims.

In 2019, Giuffre, the former “teen sex slave” of Epstein’s, sued the royal for the sexual abuse she claimed she endured in Manhattan. Facing a civil lawsuit in New York, Andrew opted to settle out of court in early 2022, reportedly paying Giuffre £12 million. The payout came without any admission of liability, but it led to Andrew's removal from royal patronages and military titles.

Epstein’s house is also where Johanna Sjoberg alleges Andrew groped her breast in 2001 while she was seated on a sofa next to a puppet of the Duke made by Spitting Image. Sjoberg was in her early twenties at the time and says Epstein and Maxwell arranged the meeting. Andrew has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.

The emergence of the Royal Ascot image raises fresh questions about the nature and extent of Andrew’s ties to Epstein. The event, deeply associated with the monarchy, is tightly controlled, and access to the Royal Enclosure is highly restricted.

However, it is not the first time Epstein was taken into the royal fold. Andrew brought shame on the royal family after repeatedly inviting him into the monarch's homes. In 1999, he was pictured relaxing with Maxwell at the Queen's Balmoral residence, when the prince reportedly invited the couple to stay at the Scottish estate.

In June 2000, the paedophile attended the Duke of York’s 40th birthday celebration at Windsor Castle, a formal gathering organised by Queen Elizabeth II. The event brought Epstein into the very heart of the British monarchy with Andrew later admitting the disgraced financier was there at his personal invitation.

During his 2019 Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, the Prince was directly challenged over Epstein’s presence at the royal event. Maitlis said: “He was your guest, as well, in 2000. Epstein was a guest at Windsor Castle and at Sandringham. He was brought right into the heart of the Royal Family at your invitation.”

Andrew responded: “Certainly at my invitation, not at the Royal Family’s invitation. But remember that it was his girlfriend [Ghislaine Maxwell] that was the key element in this. He was the, as it were, plus one, to some extent in that aspect.”

The Windsor Castle gathering was not the only royal event Epstein attended that year. In December 2000, Prince Andrew hosted a private shooting weekend at Sandringham, the monarch’s Norfolk estate, in honour of Maxwell’s birthday. Epstein was again on the guest list.

When questioned by Newsnight about this second gathering, Andrew denied it was a birthday celebration, insisting: “It was just a straightforward shooting weekend.” The revelation that Epstein was present at not one but now three high-profile Royal Family events, all as Andrew’s guest, raises further concerns over the extent of the relationship between the Duke and the late American financier, who was later convicted of sex offences involving minors.

Balmoral, Windsor Castle and Sandringham are private royal residences not typically open to outsiders without explicit invitation.

Epstein’s access to such venues, particularly one hosted by the Queen herself, illustrated the level of trust and social acceptance he enjoyed within Andrew’s inner circle at the time.

That the paedophile, then a private financier with no official role, was granted entry by a senior member of the Royal Family underscores how closely the two men were connected at the time.

Epstein was first convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution in 2008 but remained socially active among the elite for years. Investigators have long believed he used his connections to shield himself from scrutiny and prosecution.

He was arrested in 2019 and indicted on child trafficking charges, but took his own life as he awaited trial.

The Mirror approached Andrew for comment.