Epstein and Andrew: Balmoral investigations add to several British police files

Police Scotland has received information and is conducting investigations into the time spent by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in Balmoral, a private estate of the Royal Family in Scotland. The announcement of 30 October 2026, reported notably by the BBC, The Independent and ABC, opens a new strand of a series of British cases related to Epstein. The police point out, however, that their research is at a very early stage. Andrew contests any wrongdoing related to his relationship with Epstein. [S1] [S3] [S5]

Balmoral: what is confirmed, what remains alleged

The media converged on the police statement: information had been received, investigations were under way and progress would depend on evidence. However, their detailed purpose is not publicly confirmed. The BBC and The Independent allege to the Daily Express that the research concerns allegations of trafficking in women to Balmoral. This clarification should therefore not be presented as a finding by Police Scotland. [S2] [S3] [S4]

Several documents shed light on the relationship between the protagonists, without establishing an offence alone. A photograph distributed by US prosecutors shows Epstein and Maxwell in Balmoral; It was reportedly taken during a visit in 1999, at the invitation of Andrew. Other images seem to show Andrew and Epstein during a hunting game on the estate. The BBC also reports, citing the Daily Express, a private flight between Luton and Edinburgh by Andrew and Maxwell in September 2006. This is not enough to establish the activities of passengers at destination. [S3] [S5]

Thames Valley and Surrey: separate procedures

Thames Valley Police's file is not confused with Balmoral's. Andrew was arrested on 19 February 2026 on suspicion of misconduct in public office, an offence related to the performance of a public service. The charges relate to the alleged transmission to Epstein of sensitive information obtained when it represented British commercial interests. He was interrogated and then released, the investigation remaining open. [S1] [S4]

According to The Independent, Thames Valley also examines the statements of a woman claiming to have been sent to the UK by Epstein for a sexual encounter with Andrew at Royal Lodge in 2010. The police issued a call in May for people with useful information. In Surrey, two separate allegations of former sexual abuse of minors were investigated on 19 May: one concerned places in Surrey and Berkshire between the mid-1990s and 2000, the other west of Surrey in the 1980s. The newspaper does not report any arrests in the latter file. [S1]

Private flights and confidential information: other checks

The panorama published by The Independent distinguishes several reviews of documents concerning private flights: the Essex for Stansted, the Bedfordshire for Luton and the West Midlands for Birmingham. Police Scotland had, as early as February, requested testimony on the use of Edinburgh airport by the Epstein aircraft. Examining air movements is a search for elements, not a demonstration of a trafficking operation. [S1] [S3]

Other approaches concern different individuals or responsibilities. The Metropolitan Police investigates Peter Mandelson, suspected of transmitting sensitive market information to Epstein when he was in government office. The Wiltshire police are helping him. The Norfolk report reviews documents brought to its attention, but indicates that no allegations were received and that no investigations were conducted. These situations should not be grouped under a single procedure against Andrew. [S1]

Collect testimony, establish responsibilities

The National Police Chiefs-Council confirms the existence of investigations in several departments, but states that there is no single national investigation. A coordination group is working with the National Crime Agency to facilitate requests for information from foreign authorities. The volume of U.S. documents and the rules of international cooperation explain the complexity and duration of the audits. [S1] [S4]

For those who may have suffered violence, the concrete challenge is to be able to pass on information to investigators: Police Scotland claims to place the needs of victims at the heart of its research, while Thames Valley specifically called witnesses and victims to protest. For the persons involved, the acts of investigation can also be challenged: the BBC reports that Andrew has taken action concerning search warrants issued prior to his arrest. At this stage, the sources consulted do not clarify the criminal responsibilities in the Balmoral component or announce its outcome. [S1] [S3]