Key takeaways from explosive claims made in biography of Prince Andrew

1. Andrew and Epstein
Lownie claims that, although Andrew claimed to have met Epstein in 1999, “the truth is he and his ex-wife Sarah had known the financier for almost a decade by then”. Lownie writes Andrew “was easy prey for a rattlesnake like Epstein”, and adds: “Epstein played Andrew. The prince was a useful idiot who gave him respectability, access to political leaders and business opportunities. He found him easy to exploit.” Lownie quotes the US businessman Steven Hoffenberg, said to be Epstein’s “mentor” and a convicted fraudster, as saying Andrew was his “Super Bowl trophy”.
2. Secrets passed to foreign officials
Compromising material on Andrew may allegedly have been passed to Israel’s Mossad secret service, Saudi Arabian authorities and Muammar Gaddafi’s Libyan intelligence services by Epstein, according to the book. Lownie credits a documentary by the Canadian journalist Ian Halperin, writing the claims were “confirmed” to Halperin by “many in Andrew’s circle”. Although some of Epstein’s victims have alleged the financier kept video recordings of high-profile friends having sex with women, no proof has been made public to date. The claim Epstein boasted of planning to sell Andrew’s secrets to the Mossad, first reported by the US Sun, was made by Hoffenberg.
3. Was Putin passed Andrew material?
Compromising material on Andrew may also have ended up in Russian hands, Lownie claims. He examines British intelligence fears, first reported by the Sunday Times, that John Mark Dougan, a former deputy in Palm Beach county sheriff’s office, fled to Russia with copies of files on the Epstein investigation and was in touch with Pavel Borodin, a “mentor” of Putin. Lownie writes: “Asked what might be in the files, Dougan said: ‘Lots of videos, but I wasn’t going to sit around and watch them. Also lots of scanned documents.’” Dougan, a former US marine, has previously been described by the BBC as spreading a number of disinformation claims from Russia.

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1. Andrew and Epstein
Lownie claims that, although Andrew claimed to have met Epstein in 1999, “the truth is he and his ex-wife Sarah had known the financier for almost a decade by then”. Lownie writes Andrew “was easy prey for a rattlesnake like Epstein”, and adds: “Epstein played Andrew. The prince was a useful idiot who gave him respectability, access to political leaders and business opportunities. He found him easy to exploit.” Lownie quotes the US businessman Steven Hoffenberg, said to be Epstein’s “mentor” and a convicted fraudster, as saying Andrew was his “Super Bowl trophy”.
2. Secrets passed to foreign officials
Compromising material on Andrew may allegedly have been passed to Israel’s Mossad secret service, Saudi Arabian authorities and Muammar Gaddafi’s Libyan intelligence services by Epstein, according to the book. Lownie credits a documentary by the Canadian journalist Ian Halperin, writing the claims were “confirmed” to Halperin by “many in Andrew’s circle”. Although some of Epstein’s victims have alleged the financier kept video recordings of high-profile friends having sex with women, no proof has been made public to date. The claim Epstein boasted of planning to sell Andrew’s secrets to the Mossad, first reported by the US Sun, was made by Hoffenberg.
3. Was Putin passed Andrew material?
Compromising material on Andrew may also have ended up in Russian hands, Lownie claims. He examines British intelligence fears, first reported by the Sunday Times, that John Mark Dougan, a former deputy in Palm Beach county sheriff’s office, fled to Russia with copies of files on the Epstein investigation and was in touch with Pavel Borodin, a “mentor” of Putin. Lownie writes: “Asked what might be in the files, Dougan said: ‘Lots of videos, but I wasn’t going to sit around and watch them. Also lots of scanned documents.’” Dougan, a former US marine, has previously been described by the BBC as spreading a number of disinformation claims from Russia.
'Former deputy can't be bothered with evidence."
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1. Andrew and Epstein

2. Secrets passed to foreign officials

3. Was Putin passed Andrew material?