Epstein’s ghost to follow Trump across the pond as president meets with UK royals

When Donald and Melania Trump receive the royal welcome at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein will be trailing beside them.

All of the major players in the Trumps’ unprecedented second state visit to the United Kingdom have ties to the late, disgraced financier.

And all would likely prefer to avoid the topic.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer found himself embroiled in his own Epstein scandal after newly released emails showed his Ambassador to the U.S., Lord Peter Mandelson, gave fervent support to Epstein after his conviction for soliciting a minor for sex. Mandelson, subsequently, was fired and has expressed remorse that he ever met Epstein.

President Trump was a longtime friend who said he and Epstein fell out in the mid-2000s for a variety of reasons, including a business deal gone bad and Epstein poaching Mar-a-Lago staff.

And the royal family is in the mix too thanks to Prince Andrew’s friendship with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in an American prison on charges related to sex trafficking for Epstein.

Andrew, who lost his status as a working member of the family, will not be present for any part of the visit, British media reported.

But files from Epstein subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee contain 100 emails between him and the prince, the Daily Mail reported. There are concerns the cache could drop during the Trumps’ visit, causing quite a ruckus during what is supposed to be a glitzy and glamorous occasion.

Even Melania Trump has found herself connected to Epstein thanks to her multiple lawsuit threats in the United States. On Monday, the day before her departure to England, the first lady touted on social media a decision from the Daily Beast to remove portions of an interview with the author Michael Wolff that touched on her and Epstein.

And, in the UK, author Andrew Lownie will remove a section about Melania and Epstein from future editions of his book about the downfall of Prince Andrew.

Prince Andrew knows the first couple well. He was a guest at Mar-a-Lago in the early 2000s, along with Epstein and Maxwell. There are photos of him and the Trumps together. On the Trumps’ first state visit to the UK in 2019, Andrew guided them during their stop to Westminster Abbey and attended the state dinner at Buckingham Palace.

Epstein died in 2019 while in a New York prison awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Recent revelations from his estate that highlighted his strong ties to the UK have brought him back in the spotlight ahead of the Trumps’ arrival Tuesday evening.

“This is a tawdry backdrop for a state visit,” the royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told The i-Paper, one of the many British news outlets covering the links between Trump, Epstein, 10 Downing Street and the palace.

“The irony is that when he arrives in Britain next week for his second state visit, something unprecedented for an American president, the Royal Family will also be highly concerned about matters linked to Epstein.”

Many in England hope the matter won’t come up.

“Don’t say the E word!” advised an opinion columnist, writing in the Independent, a top UK newspaper. The “E word” being Epstein.

But, while Epstein may be the he-who-shall-not-be-named of this visit, he will be visible.

Activists in England unveiled outside of Windsor Castle on Monday a massive banner featuring a photo of Trump and Epstein. The president is staying at the castle and the royal events will take place there.

The group Everyone Hates Elon crowdfunded about $40,000 from the British public to commission the 4,300 square-foot photograph of the men together from their days partying at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump faced similar sights during his July trip to Scotland, where locals posted photos of him with Epstein in Aberdeen, where his golf course is located.

But he may be able to avoid the worst of protests this time around.

Trump will not be spending any significant time in London during his trip, meaning he could avoid many of the demonstrations that greeted him during his first state visit six years ago, where thousands booed him and a massive baby blimp of Trump that flew over the city.

Instead, there will be plenty of the pomp and circumstance that he loves during the short, day and a half trip.

Wednesday is the main day of events. King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, will greet the Trumps on the grounds of Windsor Castle before riding in an open carriage through the estate.

“Windsor,” Trump said on Sunday, “is supposed to be amazing.”

The Trumps will also pay a private visit to the tomb of Elizabeth II. That evening will see the royals host a massive state banquet for the American first couple.

Politics will come into play on Thursday when Trump meets Starmer at Chequers, the country estate for prime ministers in Britain. The duo are scheduled to hold a press conference after their meeting while Melania joins Princess Kate for an event with British scouts.

Guiding the visit will be Mandelson’s deputy, James Roscoe, who stepped in after the ambassador was unceremoniously dismissed.

Mandelson’s full relationship with Epstein was revealed when the House Oversight Committee released Epstein’s 50th birthday book and Bloomberg News published thousands of Epstein’s personal emails.

My “best pal” was how Mandelson cooed over Epstein in the now-infamous book, which also featured felicitations addressed from Trump, Bill Clinton and other powerful men of the time. Trump denies that crude drawing and signature in the album are his.

But, even more damning, the emails published by Bloomberg showed Mandelson offered to use his political contacts to help Epstein clear his name after he began serving time in a Florida jail for soliciting sex from a minor.

At that time - in June 2008 - Mandelson was European Commissioner for Trade. He emailed Epstein he was “furious about what has happened” to him.

“You have to be incredibly resilient, fight for early release and be philosophical about it as much as you can. The whole thing has been years of torture and now you have to show the world how big a person you are, and how strong,”Mandelson wrote, according to Bloomberg. “Your friends stay with you and love you.”

But even more damning is an Epstein request from that time, involving Charlie Crist, who was then governor of Florida.

In a typo-filled email, Epstein asked Mandelson: “did you come acrossGovernor crist,,from florida,, he is europe on a trade mission,” Epstein wrote. “He would be instrumental in a pardon, as i pled guilty to a STATE offence.”

Crist was in the UK on a four-day trade mission. He told Bloomberg he didn’t remember hearing from Mandelson about Epstein and added he didn’t know who Mandelson was.

“No sir,” Crist said when Bloomberg asked him if he ever discussed pardoning Epstein.