Police Scotland opens probe into Epstein visits to Balmoral

Police Scotland launched an investigation on Friday into the time Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell spent at the Balmoral estate in the Scottish Highlands. The inquiry focuses on the period when the former Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was present at the king's private residence. Authorities stated the probe began after they received new information, though they described the case as being at a very early stage.

The force did not specify what offences officers are examining. It also did not detail the nature of the information that triggered the review. Police Scotland noted that all inquiries are evidence-led and centered on the needs of victim survivors. The force declined to comment further on the specifics of the ongoing work.

The Daily Express first reported the inquiry, citing claims that women were trafficked to the estate. Images released by the United States Department of Justice in 2026 showed Epstein and Maxwell on a shooting trip at Balmoral in 1999. These photos were part of millions of pages of documents published as Congress probed Epstein's connections to politicians and business leaders. The presence of names or images in the files is not proof of wrongdoing.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is 66 years old and is the younger brother of King Charles III. He was arrested in February by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. That arrest was based on information found in the US documents. He was held for several hours before being released on police bail. It marked the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal had been arrested.

Several other UK police forces, including the Metropolitan Police Service, Thames Valley Police, and Surrey Police, are also reviewing information from the Epstein Files. Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied committing any crimes. His ties to Epstein have strained the royal family for almost two decades.

King Charles III stripped his brother of his princely title late last year as US authorities prepared to release more documents. Mountbatten-Windsor was also ordered to leave Royal Lodge, his longtime home near Windsor Castle. He now resides in a house at Sandringham, the king's privately owned estate in eastern England. His reputation faced scrutiny after a 2019 BBC interview where he was criticized for his explanations and lack of empathy for victims.

The 2011 allegation by Virginia Giuffre claimed she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor when she was 17. Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008. The current investigation adds another layer to the legal scrutiny surrounding the former prince and the Epstein network.