A previously unseen photograph showing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew, Duke of York) and Peter Mandelson seated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has surfaced in documents released by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).

The image is believed to be the first known photograph showing the three men together. It appears to show them sitting around a wooden deck table, with mugs featuring the US flag placed in front of them. However, the documents do not specify the date or location of the photograph.

According to ITV News, the image is believed to have been taken in Martha’s Vineyard in the United States between 1999 and 2000, before Epstein was sentenced to 13 months in prison and registered as a sex offender.

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The photograph was discovered within a massive collection of files released by the Justice Department earlier this year, which includes around three million pages of records along with thousands of photographs and videos.

What the photograph reveals

The image shows Prince Andrew and Peter Mandelson seated at a wooden deck table alongside Epstein. While the picture confirms the presence of the three men together, the documents provide no further details about the circumstances of the meeting.

The photograph appears to resemble another image linked to Epstein’s “birthday book”, which was reportedly compiled for his 50th birthday in 2003.

Emails reviewed by the BBC also suggest Mandelson discussing the location of a photograph with Epstein’s assistant. In a message dated July 2013, Mandelson wrote, “I think it was Martha’s, the first time I met Jeffrey.”

Investigations and responses

Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. He has previously said that he first met Epstein in 1999 through Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate. A civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre accused the prince of having sex with her when she was a teenager. The case was settled in 2022 without an admission of liability.

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Mandelson has also maintained that he did not commit any criminal offence. According to reports, he said he had initially accepted Epstein’s explanations about the allegations and only understood the full details after Epstein’s death in 2019.

Separately, Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in mid-February in Norfolk, after Thames Valley Police said it was assessing a complaint regarding the alleged sharing of confidential material with Epstein.

Prince Andrew previously served as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. The newly released documents have added another piece of evidence to the extensive archive related to Epstein’s network, which continues to draw scrutiny worldwide.