Ex-Prince Andrew entangled in Epstein's 'House of Horrors' triggers new nightmare for Prince William: experts
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s entanglement in Jeffrey Epstein’s "House of Horrors" has become a nightmare for King Charles III and his heir, Prince William, who are desperately trying to distance themselves from it.
The disgraced former royal appears in three newly released photos from the latest batch of files made public by the Department of Justice in connection with the investigation into the convicted sex offender.
In the images, the ex-Duke of York is seen on all fours above an unidentified woman lying on her back. The woman is fully clothed in all three photos, and her face is blacked out.
EX-PRINCE ANDREW ASKED TO TESTIFY BY HOUSE DEMOCRATS IN ONGOING JEFFREY EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION
"There used to be a very famous series in the U.K. called ‘Hammer House of Horrors,'" royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital. "Now we are seeing the modern-day equivalent of the ‘House of Horrors' with the image of Andrew on all fours, sending both King Charles and Prince William into apoplexy."
"Prince William must be thanking God that he has taken on a new troubleshooter fixer to try and distance ‘The Firm’ from further ridicule," Turner added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Andrew’s attorney for comment. Buckingham Palace previously told Fox News Digital it does not comment on matters concerning the king’s younger brother, as he is no longer a working royal.
WATCH: PRINCE ANDREW, JEFFREY EPSTEIN HAD MONEY AND SEX IN COMMON: AUTHOR
Inclusion in the files does not necessarily imply wrongdoing. Still, the optics are deeply damaging for an already frustrated king and the Prince of Wales, multiple royal experts told Fox News Digital.
Two of the photos, released Jan. 30, show Andrew crouched on the ground with his hand resting on the woman’s stomach as he looks down at her. A third shows him on his knees with his hands on either side of her body, looking directly at the camera.
Additional context, including where and when the photos were taken, was not provided by the Department of Justice. The newly released files also include email exchanges between Epstein and a contact listed as "The Duke," which is believed to refer to Andrew, 65.
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that William, 43, is reportedly "furious" that a tougher stance has not been taken against his disgraced uncle.
"William believes Andrew is obliterating the monarchy’s good work, and it’s become vulnerable to the stream of bombshell revelations," Chard explained. "King Charles had wanted to keep his brother close by. However, I believe William will put his foot down and prevent his uncle from moving so close to his family."
"Meanwhile, Andrew — under renewed scrutiny — continues to maintain his innocence as the Department of Justice drip-feeds uncomfortable, tawdry images related to him," she said.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
"Andrew remains defiant, digging in his heels. There is little King Charles can do at this point other than urge his brother to testify before U.S. Congress or push him further into exile abroad."
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on Andrew to testify before Congress following the latest release of Epstein-related files.
"In terms of testifying, I have always said anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information," Starmer told reporters Saturday.
"You can’t be victim-centered if you’re not prepared to do that," he continued. "Epstein’s victims have to be the priority."
Royal commentator Meredith Constant told Fox News Digital that while senior royals grapple with the ongoing "Andrew problem," the disgraced former prince appears entirely unfazed.
"Andrew was photographed over the weekend at Sandringham, on horseback at a well-known location where photographers often capture the royals," she explained. "It conveys that he feels above it all — unbothered, almost defiant."
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
"This latest file drop is explosive for three big reasons," said Constant. "First, we have photos of Andrew on all fours over a young woman. Denying this is a lot harder than denying you’re the ‘Invisible Man’ in email exchanges.
"There’s a second alleged victim who says she was flown to the U.K. to engage in sex acts at Andrew’s home, Royal Lodge. There are also the 2010 emails from Andrew seemingly arranging a dinner with Epstein and some young women at Buckingham Palace, where they will have ‘lots of privacy.’"
"Andrew had a lifetime of royal security, a team of secretaries and aides, security and staff dedicated to royal properties," Constant continued.
"It is inconceivable that no one saw or heard anything pertinent to an investigation. The king’s strategy has been swiftly pulling titles, distancing himself from Andrew while bringing his nieces further into the royal fold. That speaks of self-protection, not transparency or true accountability for Andrew, who has denied all allegations against him."
"Prince William was smart to hire a PR crisis expert," Constant noted. "He won’t want the stain of his uncle following him into his future reign."
Turner also said Andrew has been "riding out the storm on horseback as if nothing happened."
But experts warned the crisis is far from over.
"Oversight Dems received 95,000 new photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate. These disturbing images raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world. Time to end this White House cover-up. Release the files!" Oversight Dems said on X.
One previously released photo shows Andrew standing beside Bill Gates at the Malaria Summit in London in April 2018. In the original Getty Images version, King Charles — then the Prince of Wales — appears with Gates and Andrew. In the committee’s released version, Charles was cropped out.
In another set of photos released Dec. 19, Andrew is seen lying across the laps of five people whose faces are blacked out, while Epstein’s partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, and a sixth unidentified person stand behind them with their faces obscured.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital that any scandalous acts Andrew may have committed in Epstein’s notorious "House of Horrors" are likely to keep coming to light.
"There is no doubt now that both Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, were considerably more [connected] than they had admitted, and there is much more to come," he said.
"This is what the palace has long dreaded. It has been impossible to be proactive as they don’t know what is coming next, and they do not act for Andrew. This is likely to continue for a considerable time, with thousands of images and emails to be sifted through. It will get worse."
"Andrew can’t escape Epstein’s shadow," Chard added.
UK PRIME MINISTER SUGGESTS FORMER PRINCE ANDREW SHOULD TESTIFY IN EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION
Andrew announced in October that he was giving up his royal titles, and the palace confirmed later that month that the king had "initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew."
The decision followed Andrew’s initial step back from public life in 2019 after his BBC interview, in which he discussed his relationship with Epstein, who died that year.
Andrew was accused of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers. Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was forced to have sex with the disgraced duke three times, including when she was 17. The case was settled out of court in 2022, with Andrew admitting no wrongdoing.