Epstein Files Fallout Spreads Across Europe

Politicians, diplomats, officials and royals face consequences over ties to the late financier and convicted sex offender

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The release of more than 3 million pages of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents by the U.S. Justice Department has led to a reckoning across Europe, with politicians, diplomats, officials and royals facing tarnished reputations, investigations, and job losses due to their ties to the late American financier and convicted sex offender. While none of them face claims of sexual wrongdoing, they have been toppled for maintaining friendly relationships with Epstein after he became a convicted sex offender.

Why it matters

The fallout from the Epstein scandal has been swifter and more severe in Europe's parliamentary democracies compared to the United States, where Epstein built his empire and hobnobbed with many American elites. The revelations have shaken the political establishment in several European countries, leading to resignations, investigations and a broader examination of the ties between the powerful and the disgraced financier.

The details

The former Prince Andrew, one of King Charles III's brothers, is one of the most prominent figures linked to the Epstein scandal, with the recent document dump exposing deeper ties between the two. This has forced Andrew to move out of the royal estate and led the king to strip him of his royal titles. In the UK, longtime Labour party stalwart Peter Mandelson was stripped of his post as UK ambassador to Washington after Epstein emails showed closer ties than he had acknowledged. Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit apologized for her interactions with Epstein, while former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland is under investigation for 'aggravated corruption' related to his ties to Epstein. Other European figures impacted include France's Jack Lang, the former head of the Arab World Institute in Paris, and Slovakia's Miroslav Lajčák, the former national security adviser to the prime minister.

  • In 2010, the former Prince Andrew sent trade reports to Jeffrey Epstein.
  • In 2012, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway exchanged emails with Epstein where he noted he was in Paris 'on my wife hunt' but 'i prefer Scandinavians', and she replied that the French capital was 'good for adultery' but 'Scandis' were 'better wife material'.
  • In 2013, Crown Princess Mette-Marit borrowed an Epstein-owned property in Palm Beach, Florida for several days.
  • In 2014, emails indicate that former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland made plans to visit Epstein's island with his family.
  • On January 30, 2026, the U.S. Justice Department released more than 3 million pages of Epstein-related documents.

The players

Prince Andrew

The former Prince Andrew, one of King Charles III's two brothers, is one of the most prominent names linked to the Epstein underworld involving the recruitment of underage girls for sex. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, but the scandalous headlines forced the king last year to strip Andrew of his royal titles, including that of prince. He is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

Peter Mandelson

A longtime Labour party stalwart who Prime Minister Keir Starmer brought out of the political wilderness as U.K. ambassador in Washington. Mandelson was stripped of that post in September, after Epstein emails showed that they had had closer ties than the ambassador had initially acknowledged. Mandelson is now facing a criminal investigation, after the new files suggested that he may have shared market-sensitive information with Epstein a decade and a half ago.

Mette-Marit

The 52-year-old Norwegian Crown Princess, the wife of Crown Prince Haakon. The new documents showed that she borrowed an Epstein-owned property in Palm Beach, Florida, for several days in 2013, and that she exchanged emails with Epstein in 2012 where he noted he was in Paris 'on my wife hunt' but 'i prefer Scandinavians', and she replied that the French capital was 'good for adultery' but 'Scandis' were 'better wife material'.

Thorbjørn Jagland

Norway's former Prime Minister and the former chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Emails indicate that Jagland made plans to visit Epstein's island with his family in 2014. Based on revelations in the Epstein files, Norwegian authorities opened an investigation into 'aggravated corruption' involving Jagland.

Mona Juul

Norway's former ambassador to Jordan, who was involved in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts in the 1990s. She resigned over the weekend after reports said that Epstein left $10 million to Juul's children in a will drawn up shortly before he died.

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What they’re saying

“Some of the content of the messages between Epstein and me does not represent the person I want to be.”

— Mette-Marit, Norwegian Crown Princess (Instagram)

“When I'm reading the messages today, I feel like an idiot. Those messages are nothing more than stupid male egos in action. Nothing more than words ever came of it.”

— Miroslav Lajčák, Former national security adviser to the Slovak Prime Minister (Slovak public radio)

What’s next

The judge in the case against former Prince Andrew will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow him out on bail.

The takeaway

The fallout from the Epstein scandal has exposed the deep ties between the powerful and the disgraced financier, leading to a reckoning across Europe that has toppled politicians, diplomats, officials and royals. This highlights the need for greater scrutiny and accountability of those in positions of power, and the consequences that can arise from maintaining relationships with individuals involved in unethical or illegal activities.