Prince Andrew Once Invited Ghislaine Maxwell and Kevin Spacey to Buckingham Palace for a Private Tour

Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing.

Prince Andrew is reported to have once invited disgraced socialite, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Hollywood actor, Kevin Spacey, to Buckingham Palace for a private tour in 2002. The pair, both now embroiled in sexual misconduct scandals, was photographed posing on the Queen’s throne during the visit. According to sources, the Duke of York organized the tour initially for former U.S. President Bill Clinton, but it seems neither Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell’s close confidante, nor Clinton attended. Witnesses from the time recall, “They were larking about on the thrones, doing regal waves. Ghislaine sat on the Queen’s throne, with Spacey pretending to be the Duke of Edinburgh. No one can recall if Prince Andrew was actually in the throne room at the time but he was in charge of the visit,” as noted by Mirror.

Back then, Buckingham Palace refrained from commenting on the matter. Spacey, who was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017, and Maxwell, who is currently serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking, sparked a debate about Andrew’s questionable circle of friends. Meanwhile, the FBI investigation into Prince Andrew’s relationship with Epstein has reportedly stalled. According to insiders, “The agents and attorneys who have, for years, worked diligently, looking into Andrew's friendship with Epstein are beyond frustrated. They're angry that the probe has been parked.”

Despite being repeatedly requested to cooperate with the investigation, the Duke of York has maintained minimal engagement, to the dismay of Epstein’s victims and legal representatives. Lawyers representing some of Epstein’s victims still are making consistent efforts to press Andrew to offer his testimony, with many believing that the Duke has vital information regarding Epstein’s predatory behavior. As per Daily Mail, Prince Andrew’s name has come up multiple times in connection with Epstein’s criminal activities. Most notably, Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims, accused the Duke of having s– with her on three separate occasions when she was just 17 years old. 

Though Andrew has vehemently denied the allegations and settled a civil lawsuit with Giuffre out of court, the allegations continue to haunt him. Recent developments showcase a growing divide between the FBI’s initial commitment to investigating Andrew and the current state of the case. A source claimed that resources once dedicated to probing the Duke’s connection to Epstein have been diverted to other high-profile cases, such as that of hip-hop mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs. In light of the same, Epstein's victims view the stalled investigation as part of a larger 'systematic cover-up.'

This frustration is only compounded by Andrew’s earlier unwillingness to cooperate substantially. Duke’s legal team repeatedly stalled requests for an interview. Despite being mentioned over 70 times in documents related to Epstein, the Duke has managed to evade the full weight of legal scrutiny. On the other side of the ocean, the Prince has lost his status as a senior royal to preserve the monarchy from further backlash.

If you are being subjected to sexual assault, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673)