Prince Andrew and Peter Mandelson’s Epstein-Linked Friendship Exposed

The Sunday Times has lifted the veil on a deeply unsettling chapter in the story of Prince Andrew and Peter Mandelson, two powerful figures whose friendship began in the shadow of Jeffrey Epstein’s predatory network. In a striking 1999 photograph, Andrew and Mandelson sit side-by-side in bathrobes with Epstein at his Martha’s Vineyard mansion — months before Epstein’s first criminal conviction. This image marks the start of their association, which would weave through elite political, royal, and social circles even as Epstein’s abuses remained hidden.

At the time, Andrew was publicly championing the NSPCC’s Full Stop campaign against child cruelty, appearing in glossy magazine interviews touting his commitment as a father to ending abuse. Behind the scenes, however, he was forging bonds with Mandelson — a Labour heavyweight and social chameleon — who had just met Epstein. The NSPCC had brought Andrew and Mandelson together for a lunch at Buckingham Palace, where they dined on plaice with cream sauce, oblivious or indifferent to the dark realities connected to Epstein.

Former NSPCC fundraiser Giles Pegram expressed deep regret over facilitating the connection, stating bluntly that had he known what he knows now, he would have avoided linking Andrew and Mandelson to any campaign on child protection. This candid admission underscores the failures of institutions to vet and distance themselves from individuals entwined with abusers.

Mandelson’s path to the royal inner circle was long and calculated. Once a self-described republican and communist sympathizer, he evolved into a key conduit between New Labour and the monarchy, cultivating friendships with Prince Charles and Princess Margaret. His social network also included Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s notorious associate, highlighting a web of connections that blurred the lines between political power and criminal enterprise.

The revelations come amid growing scrutiny of how elites like Andrew and Mandelson navigated and benefited from relationships with Epstein and his associates. These ties, concealed behind public facades of charity and service, reveal a pattern of hypocrisy and complicity that demands accountability.

Only Clowns Are Orange will continue to track these stories, exposing the intersections of corruption, abuse, and authoritarian privilege that undermine democratic integrity and justice for survivors. The Prince Andrew-Mandelson-Epstein nexus is a stark reminder that power shields predators — and that silence and denial are part of the problem.