Former Prince Andrew leaves royal mansion after new revelations in the Epstein case.

247 - Former Prince Andrew, younger brother of King Charles III, has left the mansion where he lived on the royal estate of Windsor after the release of new files linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case. The move was confirmed by a royal source on Wednesday (4) and comes amid new information considered damaging about the Duke's links with the American tycoon accused of sex crimes.

The information was published by Reuters, in a report signed by Sarah Young, Michael Holden, Paul Sandle and Alex Richardson. According to the investigation, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 65, left Royal Lodge, the residence he had occupied for decades, and was taken to a country house in Sandringham, the king's property in Norfolk, in eastern England. According to The Sun newspaper, the former prince had hoped to remain longer in the 30-room Georgian mansion, but the move took place discreetly on Monday (2).

 A royal source said he may occasionally return to Windsor in the coming weeks while a transition period is completed. An unnamed friend told the British tabloid: "With the latest batch of documents on Epstein, it became clear to him that it was time to leave." The same source added: "The departure was so humiliating for him that he chose to do it secretly." In recent days, Andrew had been photographed riding horses in Windsor, west of London. He has always denied any involvement with Epstein. However, following the latest release of documents by the US Department of Justice, Thames Valley Police reported on Tuesday (3) that it is considering a new charge related to the former prince.

The new files include emails suggesting that Mountbatten-Windsor maintained regular contact with Epstein for more than two years after the financier's conviction for sex crimes against minors. Andrew had previously stated that he broke off relations after the 2008 conviction, with the exception of a visit to New York in 2010 to end the relationship.

The second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II was removed from public life in 2019 when he was forced to relinquish all his official royal duties. Three years later, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager. Although he has always denied the accusation, the issue has returned to the center of public debate with the release of new documents.

Last year, the release of files linked to Epstein had already pressured Buckingham Palace to take harsher measures. In October, King Charles announced the stripping of Andrew's title of prince and ordered his removal from the British Royal Residence, in one of the most severe actions against a member of the royal family in recent UK history. The monarch stated at the time that his solidarity was with the victims of abuse.

The political impact of the new material also extended to other public figures. British police opened an investigation against Peter Mandelson, the former UK ambassador to the United States, on suspicion of misconduct in public office, following allegations that he had leaked confidential market information to Epstein.

In light of the new revelations, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday (31) that the former prince should testify before a US Congressional committee. Andrew of Windsor's departure, in this context, is seen by analysts as yet another chapter in a scandal that continues to have repercussions for the British monarchy.