Queen Was 'Keen' for Andrew to Land Top Job Tied to Epstein

Documents show Queen Elizabeth II was "very keen" that the former Prince Andrew be given the job of UK trade envoy. The UK government on Thursday released confidential papers related to Andrew's appointment, reports the AP, just months after lawmakers accused the king's brother of putting his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein ahead of the nation. "The Queen is very keen that the Duke of York should take on a prominent role in the promotion of national interests," the head of Britain's trade body wrote in a letter. Another document, a government memo sent to UK trade staff around the world, says that "HRH's high public profile" will require "careful and sometimes strict media management," in a reference to Andrew.

The involvement of the late queen will confirm previously held beliefs that the monarch held a soft spot for her son—an empathy that might have influenced her lack of decisiveness in dealing with allegations of Andrew's connection to Epstein. Trade Minister Chris Bryant said in a written statement to lawmakers that "we have found no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken" before Andrew was appointed to the role. "There is also no evidence that this was considered. This is understandable since this new appointment was a continuation of the royal family's involvement in trade and investment promotion work," he said.

Bryant said that the government was cooperating with Thames Valley Police on their investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and possible misconduct in public office. Mountbatten-Windsor has been accused of sharing "sensitive information" with Epstein during his time as trade envoy, notes the Telegraph. The former prince served in the post from 2001 to 2011, when he was forced to give up the role because of concerns about his links to questionable figures in Libya and Azerbaijan. He was stripped of his royal titles following the US Justice Department's release of millions of pages of documents related to Epstein.

Nowhere has the fallout from the document release been felt more strongly than in the UK, where the scandal has raised questions about the way power is wielded by the aristocracy, senior politicians and influential business owners, known collectively as "the Establishment." The Telegraph has some other details, including that Mountbatten-Windsor preferred to be sent to "more sophisticated countries."