New court documents have shed light on an archive of around 30 emails relating to the financial activities and business dealings of the former Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The material was reportedly handed over to Buckingham Palace in 2020, several years before the current police investigation began.
Emails, obtained by a close business contact of Andrew, are said to contain information about questionable financial deals and communications that could indicate the sharing of confidential government information during his time as the UK's trade envoy. According to High Court documents, a full copy of the archive was handed to the Lord Chamberlain in May 2020. At the time, the post was held by Lord Peel, the most senior administrative official in the Royal Family.
When asked about the fate of these documents, Buckingham Palace refused to provide details, stating that it could not comment due to the ongoing police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The case has received new attention after Thames Valley Police last week renewed its appeal for information from the public, following Andrew's arrest on suspicion of misconduct at a public function.
A series of emails, previously published by British media, suggested that Andrew had received confidential information from British Treasury officials in 2010 and then shared it with businessman Jonathan Rowland. The information relates to the banking crisis in Iceland and the Rowland family's financial interests in the banking sector.
Documents released in the US as part of the Jeffrey Epstein case have also highlighted Andrew's close relationship with the Rowland family. The documents mention his support for their ventures and his personal guarantee to businessman David Rowland. Meanwhile, scholar and author Andrew Lownie has called for a parliamentary inquiry into Andrew's activities while he was a trade envoy, arguing that there is still a lack of transparency about the documents and decision-making related to him.
For its part, the police have stated that they are aware of the allegations circulating publicly and have called on people with relevant information to cooperate with investigators. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing, both in relation to his financial activities and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, insisting that he has not personally benefited from his public position.
