Andrew breaks silence amid Epstein storm, friends call It 'hijinks'

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been seen in public for the first time since the explosive release of the Epstein files, which included a black and white image. 

The former Duke of York lying across the laps of five women with convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell looking on inside Sandringham House.

He was spotted leaving Royal Lodge in his Land Rover Defender, wearing a beige jacket and looking notably glum, with a hat perched on his dashboard. 

Sources close to Andrew have downplayed the widely circulated image, describing it as “just hijinks at a party” and insisting that he was fully clothed. 

“We don’t see what the problem is,” a friend told The Telegraph.

The identities of the women in the photograph have been redacted in the Department of Justice release, which unveiled thousands of documents from Epstein’s estate last Friday, shedding light on the extent of his alleged network.

Andrew’s controversial ties to Epstein are already well documented, with the former royal embroiled in legal battles dating back to 2015 after Virginia Giuffre claimed she was trafficked to him at 17. 

Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and officials stress that nothing in the released image suggests misconduct.

For now, the sight of the former duke leaving Royal Lodge with a serious expression marks a rare public glimpse of him amid a storm of legal and reputational scrutiny.