Epstein ‘arranged key meeting’ for Prince Andrew after Duke ended friendship

Convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein arranged talks between Prince Andrew and the head of a US bank held at Buckingham Palace, US court documents have suggested. The disgraced financier appeared to have organised a dinner for the Duke of York and Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JP Morgan, in 2013. However, the Prince claimed his friendship had ended with Epstein three years prior to this when they met in 2010 and were photographed walking in Central Park. At the time of the talks held in the royal residence, Epstein had served 15 months in jail for soliciting underage girls for sex, finishing his house arrest in July 2010. Andrew, who was previously the UK’s trade envoy, and Mr Dimon enjoyed performances by both the Royal Philharmonic and the English National Ballet as well as a dinner at Buckingham Palace which then initiated a row about the use of the royal residences for business. Andrew laughing with Epstein in 2000 (Image: Getty) The Financial Times reported at the time that the Palace said the Duke was involved in supporting British businesses, saying the event was an opportunity to ‘engage’ with international chief executives about what Britain had to offer. A senior participant at the event told the publication JP Morgan said it had paid nothing but that charitable donations to both the orchestra and ballet company had been made. However, the Palace said the bank paid an undisclosed fee for food, drink and the venue. News of the evening’s events sparked a row over the commercialisation of Buckingham Palace with former Labour chairman of the home affairs select committee Keith Vaz claiming the arrangement threatened to ‘undermine the cachet’ of the royal palaces and the Royal Family’s security. Prince Andrew timeline (Image: Express) Jamie Dimon is chairman and chief executive officer of JP Morgan (Image: Getty) The claim that Epstein set up the meeting was included in court filings seen by the Daily Mail and was revealed as part of a case brought against the sex offender by the US Virgin Islands, where he owned a private island. The government alleges JP Morgan ignored red flags, such as claiming executives discussed how Epstein surrounded himself with ‘nymphets’, and enabled his sex trafficking operation. The bank denies the allegations. The documents also claim Epstein ‘facilitated meetings between JP Morgan employees and Prince Andrew’ and include messages sent between him and Andrew about meeting Jes Staley, JP Morgan’s former boss, in April 2010. Andrew told Emily Maitlis that he was last in contact with Epstein in 2010 (Image: PA) In the documents, released last week, Epstein told the then-CEO of JP Morgan Mr Stanley in June of that year that he had lunch with the royal and that they were in touch, adding that Andrew had been ‘sat next to him at dinner’. In his infamous interview with BBC Newsnight in 2019, the 63-year-old Prince claimed he cut contact with Epstein after visiting him in New York in December 2010. The Duke has been approached by Express.co.uk for comment.