MET Police officers were allegedly instructed to guard a celebrity dinner party thrown by Jeffrey Epstein in New York for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, newly released emails reveal.
Messages disclosed by the US Department of Justice suggest two Scotland Yard royal protection officers were told to stand on the door at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse during a lavish December 2010 gathering in Andrew’s honour.
The email, sent the night before the dinner, stated: “The Duke’s 2 protection officers along with state security will all be here for tomorrow’s dinner party … Rich has given them instructions on the door.
“Do you wish [sic] Rich to stay for the party or is it ok for him to go home?”
The message carried the subject heading: “Security for party.”
Guests at the townhouse on East 71st Street reportedly included filmmaker Woody Allen and his wife Soon-Yi Previn, US news anchors Katie Couric and George Stephanopoulos, comedian Chelsea Handler and broadcaster Charlie Rose, The Times reported.
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Sir Mick Jagger was invited but did not attend.
The reference to “state security” is understood to indicate US diplomatic protection officers were also present.
“Rich” is believed to be Richard Barnett, Epstein’s chief engineer and security fixer.
The suggestion that Met officers effectively acted as doormen for a convicted paedophile is likely to prove deeply embarrassing for Britain’s biggest police force.
The Met has faced criticism for years over its handling of allegations linked to Epstein.
It comes as Andrew, 66, was arrested at Sandringham on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
He was questioned for up to ten hours by Thames Valley Police and released under investigation.
He has previously denied all wrongdoing.
The investigation centres on claims he allegedly passed sensitive information to Epstein while serving as a UK trade envoy.
A separate review is examining the conduct of his taxpayer-funded protection officers.
The activities of Andrew’s bodyguards during the 2010 trip have been under scrutiny since it emerged they stayed with him at Epstein’s mansion for more than a week.
One officer, Julian Phillips, reportedly received security codes allowing access to the property.
Andrew told BBC Newsnight in 2019 that he had travelled to New York solely to “cut ties” with Epstein.
He was photographed walking with the financier in Central Park during the visit.
Emails show Epstein personally offered to accommodate Andrew’s protection team at the house, which featured a massage room and has long been alleged to have been the scene of sex crimes.
Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
On Friday, the Metropolitan Police said it was contacting all former protection officers who worked for Andrew.
The force said: “They have been asked to consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard … may be relevant to our ongoing reviews.”
The disclosure follows claims by a former senior officer that Met bodyguards accompanied Andrew to Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, on at least two occasions and may have “wilfully turned a blind eye” to what took place.
Separately, The Sun on Sunday can reveal senior Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat has called for Andrew and Peter Mandelson to be investigated for treason over their alleged links to Epstein.
Andrew and Mandelson are both under police investigation over alleged misconduct in public office. Both deny any criminal wrongdoing.
The latest revelations also come after claims Andrew complained during his eviction from Royal Lodge, allegedly shouting: “You can’t do this to me, I’m the Queen’s second son.”
A royal insider claimed: “When he was told to get out he was so arrogant and deluded he repeatedly shouted, ‘But I’m the Queen’s second son, you can’t do this to me’.
“It is extraordinary he chose to use the Queen’s name in his defence. No one is quite sure if the reality of his dire situation has hit home even yet.”
An 11th force, Hampshire Constabulary, is assessing information after flight logs reportedly showed Epstein’s private jet landed at Lasham Airfield in Farnborough more than 80 times.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown has also written to UK police forces providing what he described as “new and additional information” from the Epstein files, reportedly urging officers to examine potential use of RAF bases and jets.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the latest email disclosure. The King has previously said: “The law must take its course.”