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The first photograph of Jeffrey Epstein with both Lord Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been discovered in the trove of millions of documents released in January by the US government.
Both Mandelson and Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince, are wearing bathrobes as they sit around a wooden table with convicted sex offender Epstein.
The picture was taken in 1999 or 2000 on Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts, according to ITV News, which first reported the existence of the photo.
Mandelson and Mountbatten-Windsor, King Charles’s brother, have previously tried to downplay the extent of their friendships with Epstein, who spent time in jail in 2008 and 2009 for soliciting prostitution from a 14-year-old. The disgraced financier was found dead in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on new charges of sex trafficking of minors.
This week Sir Keir Starmer’s government faced scrutiny for appointing Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US in December 2024. A release of documents related to the vetting process revealed that it was “weirdly rushed”, according to national security adviser Jonathan Powell.
A “birthday book” for Epstein’s 50th birthday, released last September, showed Mandelson in a bathrobe with Epstein. The former Labour cabinet minister also wrote a note in that book calling Epstein his “best pal”.
The sheer volume of correspondence in more than 3mn documents released by the US Department of Justice has shed fresh light on the relationships between Epstein and the two high-profile British figures.
The files showed Epstein sending three payments of £25,000 to Mandelson in 2003 and 2004 and further payments of thousands of pounds to his partner Reinaldo Avila da Silva in 2009 and 2010.
Following the release of the files, Mandelson was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on February 23 and then released on bail.
Mandelson is no longer on police bail but has been released under investigation and has denied any criminal wrongdoing, saying he never acted for personal gain.
Mountbatten-Windsor was last month held in police custody for nearly 11 hours after officers arrested him on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his own links to Epstein.
The former prince has denied wrongdoing over his links to Epstein and no charges have been brought.
Files released by the US Justice Department have shown that Mountbatten-Windsor recommended to the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates that he work with Epstein during a state visit in 2010.
They have also revealed that Mountbatten-Windsor sent various documents related to his role as UK trade representative to the financier.
There was no immediate reply to a request for comment on the picture from Mountbatten-Windsor’s office.
Mandelson’s lawyers have been approached for comment.
It has previously been reported that Mandelson, as a Labour minister, pushed for Andrew to be made special representative for UK trade and investment in 2001.