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Last night, police chiefs and government ministers were met with mounting pressure to conduct a thorough investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s activities as the UK trade envoy. This comes after The Mail on Sunday published a series of alarming revelations.
According to a detailed dossier compiled by the newspaper, Andrew appears to have misused his publicly funded position to benefit Jeffrey Epstein’s business interests significantly.
The extensive cache of Epstein Files includes emails that uncover how Andrew permitted the convicted sex offender to arrange meetings for him during an official trade mission in China.
Among the documents are new photographs depicting Andrew mingling with a striking Chinese model at an undisclosed dinner in Beijing. This event occurred during a ten-day official visit where he was meant to represent the UK.
An email from before the 2010 dinner reveals that Andrew’s adviser, businessman David Stern, referred to the woman using derogatory language.
As pressure mounts on police and the Government to investigate the former Duke of York, our investigation reveals how:
- Andrew leaked sensitive information about Royal Bank of Scotland in the aftermath of its £45 billion taxpayer-funded bailout;
- A senior palace aide leaked an official diplomatic cable about UK-China trade relations to a banker who was Andrew’s friend and business associate;
- Epstein boasted of getting intelligence from Andrew, former Cabinet Minister Lord Mandelson and a mysterious ‘third man’, declaring: ‘I’ve got the UK sewn up’;
- After Andrew’s 2010 trade mission, Mr Stern plotted with Epstein to do ‘discreet’ deals with the Chinese government.
Pictured: A seemingly unaware Andrew enjoying a ride on a bamboo river raft
Pictured: Emails from David Stern found in the Epstein Files
The bombshell findings heap pressure on the Government to release documents from Andrew’s time as trade envoy and have sparked fresh calls for the police to investigate whether Andrew abused his position in public office by giving Epstein access to confidential information. Thames Valley Police is already assessing allegations that Andrew shared such material with Epstein, but has not yet launched a criminal investigation.
Former Business Secretary Vince Cable told the MoS: ‘Of course there should be an inquiry – it’s disgraceful behaviour. The main issue is whether this is a police matter and it is for them and the director of public prosecutions to decide. But undoubtedly this is very, very bad behaviour.’
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘Andrew has sold our country down the river every chance he gets. It’s high time spineless Keir Starmer actually does something and investigates the full extent of the damage he’s done to Britain’s security.’
A Labour aide said: ‘Andrew’s behaviour as trade envoy is a complete betrayal. He has dragged Britain’s name through the mud. There needs to be an investigation to find out the full extent of damage he has caused. The Prime Minister should get on the front foot and give him both barrels.’
Royal author Andrew Lownie added: ‘It really is time that there was a parliamentary inquiry into the former Prince Andrew’s time as a trade envoy and how he personally enriched himself and his business cronies.’
Prince Andrew’s high-profile public role as roving trade ambassador between 2001 and 2011 was designed to promote British business and attract investment on taxpayer-funded trips overseas.
They were meant to be organised by the Government, but in an apparent breach of protocol, emails reveal that Mr Stern, a London-based German businessman who was an adviser to both Andrew and Epstein, was asked to ‘help’ plan a September 2010 official visit to China. He then told Epstein he would insert meetings with organisations that had been quietly requested by the paedophile.
Writing to Epstein just over a year after the financier was released from jail following his conviction for procuring a child for prostitution, Mr Stern said: ‘Based on your request I will NOT suggest industry ministries’ instead focussing on ‘financial/asset management’.Â
During the trip, Mr Stern sent photos to Epstein, showing Ms Muqi at the dinner (pictured)
During the trip, Mr Stern sent photos to Epstein of Andrew sat next to an unknown woman at dinner
Another email shows Epstein arranged for Andrew to have dinner at the five-star St Regis hotel in Beijing with Jes Staley, a senior JP Morgan banker whose role as the paedophile’s personal banker was later exposed.
Having fixed the dinner with Mr Staley, Epstein then instructed Mr Stern: ‘Confirm with Andrew.’
Emails seen by this newspaper reveal that Andrew insisted that the first four days of his visit should be ‘private’.
During the trip Mr Stern emailed Epstein what appear to be discreetly-taken photographs of Andrew meeting multiple young women. There is no suggestion that any were victims of Epstein or of Andrew himself.
The photos also show a seemingly unaware Andrew enjoying a ride on a bamboo river raft.
Three days before the trade mission started, Mr Stern emailed Epstein a photograph of Miya Muqi, a 23-year-old Chinese model, and said: ‘We have dinner in Beijing on Sunday night with this P’. The letter P is repeatedly used by Mr Stern in emails to Epstein as code for a vile and disparaging term for young women.
During the trip, Mr Stern sent photos to Epstein, showing Ms Muqi at the dinner along with at least one other young woman who sat next to Andrew. Ms Muqi, who later became an actress and yoga teacher, did not respond to the MoS’s request for comment.
This newspaper can reveal that the dinner party guests also included billionaire Chinese media mogul Bruno Wu. A month after the dinner, emails show Mr Stern told Epstein they needed to discuss ‘if we can do wealth management for Chinese’, adding that he wanted to ‘partner with Bruno Wu and involve [Prince Andrew]’.
Mr Stern emailed Epstein a photograph of Miya Muqi, (pictured) a 23-year-old Chinese model, and said: ‘We have dinner in Beijing on Sunday night with this P’
Later in the year Mr Stern told Epstein about a potential $1 million investment with Mr Wu, saying: ‘Since it involves [Prince Andrew] maybe you want to have a look.’
Mr Stern said the deal involved ‘3 luxury brands and 3 clubs’. There is no evidence any deal went ahead. The MoS has approached Mr Wu for comment.
In October 2010, Mr Stern told Epstein that he was planning potential business deals thanks to Andrew’s trip. ‘Since China trip in September I started to follow up on meetings we had to develop/attract deals. Is this right?,’ he said.
And in an email to Epstein the following summer, Mr Stern proposed setting up a ‘discreet’ investment firm to target ‘state owned enterprises and private wealth,’ adding: ‘This is the route to managing Chinese private wealth.’
He said the proposed firm could be small but ‘must feel, smell and in fact be big money and power including access to power globally – see PA [Prince Andrew].’
The revelations came as it was claimed that Epstein boasted about the sensitive information he was getting from his Establishment sources in Britain.
An adviser to a Middle Eastern government, who repeatedly met Epstein, said the paedophile bragged about getting information from Andrew, Peter Mandelson and a ‘third man’ from inside 10 Downing Street and declared: ‘I’ve got the UK sewn up’.
Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said: ‘We continue to assess all relevant information and have no further comment at this time.’
Andrew did not respond to the MoS’s request for comment.
 China talks cable sent to ex-Duke’s associate
 By Mark Hookham
One of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s most senior aides leaked a ‘sensitive’ diplomatic telegram about China to the former duke’s business associate.
Amanda Thirsk forwarded banker Jonathan Rowland a Foreign Office cable that included details of talks between the then prince and leading Chinese politicians.
The cable was marked ‘sensitive’ and meant for Government officials.
An investigation by The Mail on Sunday in 2019 revealed Mr Rowland, whose father David is pictured right with Andrew, was with him on a taxpayer-funded mission to China in 2010 and used his access to try to land clients for his family Banque Havilland.
Leaked documents reveal how after the three-day visit, Ms Thirsk, then Andrew’s deputy private secretary, forwarded Mr Rowland a cable written by Sebastian Wood, the UK’s ambassador to China.
Mr Wood had sent the telegram almost a month earlier to London via the Foreign Office’s secure system.
The cable detailed face-to-face talks during the trade visit with Wang Qishan, China’s vice premier, and Chen Deming, the commerce minister.
Asked if it was appropriate for Ms Thirsk to send him the cable, Mr Rowland said last night: ‘That’s a question for her.’ She was contacted for comment.
Andrew also allegedly forwarded a confidential Treasury briefing to Mr Rowland, who has ‘no recollection of it’.