A confidential UK government briefing on investment opportunities in Afghanistan was forwarded by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in December 2010, according to documents seen by the BBC.
The briefing, prepared by British officials during Andrew’s tenure as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment, outlined “high value commercial opportunities” in Helmand province, including prospects in gold and uranium.
In an accompanying email, Andrew described it as a “confidential brief produced by the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province.”
The disclosure adds to renewed scrutiny of his past associations with Epstein and his activities while serving as trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
The Afghan document was compiled in the same month Andrew visited Helmand, where British forces were engaged in military and reconstruction efforts.
It assessed the local economy and identified “significant high value mineral deposits,” including marble, iridium, uranium and thorium, as well as potential oil and gas reserves, noting the “potential for low cost extraction.”
Under official guidance, trade envoys are required to maintain confidentiality over sensitive commercial or political information obtained during their duties.
Vince Cable, who was business secretary at the time, described the reported sharing of the briefing as “appalling behaviour” and called for greater transparency regarding Andrew’s tenure.
Thames Valley Police said they are assessing whether to investigate the apparent sharing of documents related to his envoy role.
Emails contained in the latest tranche of Epstein files suggest Andrew may also have forwarded official reports from trade visits to Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam.
One message indicates that shortly after sending reports from Southeast Asia, he transmitted additional compressed files labelled “Overseas bids.”
A former senior trade official said some reports might have contained commercially significant information and were not intended to be sent outside government.
Andrew has previously denied wrongdoing in his association with Epstein and rejected suggestions that he used his trade envoy role to further personal interests.
He stepped back from royal duties in 2019 and settled a civil lawsuit in 2022 without admission of liability.