Freshly disclosed legal documents have exposed the precise lines of inquiry the FBI wished to pursue with Prince Andrew regarding his association with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The files, part of a major release by the US Department of Justice, show American investigators sought a formal interview with the Duke of York in April 2020.
Formal Request for a "Voluntary Interview"
According to the papers, US prosecutors invoked a mutual legal assistance treaty with the UK in a bid to question the then-prince, identified as "Material Witness PA". The request, directed to the British Home Office, asked for a voluntary interview to be both videotaped and audio recorded. American authorities insisted on leading the questioning themselves, with UK officials present.
The document stated that Prince Andrew was "not presently" a target of their wider sex trafficking investigation and that evidence of a criminal offence by him had not been gathered "to date". However, it contained a stark warning: if he provided false information, he could face prosecution for perverting the course of justice in the UK or making a false statement in the US.
The Fallback Plan and the 12 Key Questions
The files also laid out a contingency plan. Should the Duke refuse a voluntary interview, US officials requested that UK authorities conduct a compelled interview under oath using the same topics. The core of the request was the list of twelve questions, which aimed to uncover the full nature of his relationships with Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The specific questions FBI investigators wanted to ask covered:
- The history and nature of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
- The history and nature of his relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell.
- The history and nature of his relationship with Virginia Giuffre.
- Details of any trips he took with or to visit Maxwell and/or Epstein.
- Details of any trips Maxwell and/or Epstein took to visit him.
- Details of any payments made or received between him and Maxwell, Epstein, or any female associate.
- The names and identifying features of any females he met through Epstein and/or Maxwell.
- Details of conversations where Epstein's or Maxwell's sexual preferences or Maxwell's role in procuring females were discussed.
- Details of his interactions and conversations regarding Virginia Giuffre.
- Communications with Maxwell about her attempts to introduce him to females.
- Any knowledge he had of inappropriate or unlawful sexual contact involving Epstein and/or his associates with any minor.
- His own involvement, if any, in sexual contact with any person met through Epstein and/or Maxwell.
Prosecutors also sought access to all communications between Prince Andrew and Epstein, including emails, texts, and voicemails.
Part of a Vast Document Release
This disclosure forms part of the fourth and largest batch of Epstein-related files released by the US Department of Justice, bringing the total to nearly 30,000 pages. The tranche includes hundreds of videos, audio recordings—such as prison surveillance footage from when Epstein died—court transcripts, and FBI records.
The request emphasised the need for discretion, warning that revealing the specific questions could "seriously jeopardize the investigations" by allowing witnesses to prepare answers or tamper with evidence. Prince Andrew, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, was later stripped of his royal titles and military affiliations amid the scandal.
