London Police Chief Seeks Unredacted Epstein Files

Metropolitan Police Commissioner pushes for access to original documents in ongoing investigations of Prince Andrew and Peter Mandelson.

Mar. 18, 2026 at 6:34pm

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One month after the arrest of former Prince Andrew, the head of London's Metropolitan Police is pushing U.S. officials for unredacted material from the Epstein files. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said his office is in communication with the Department of Justice to access the original documents related to ongoing investigations of both Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and former British ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson.

Why it matters

The investigations into Mountbatten-Windsor and Mandelson's potential misconduct in public office stem from emails suggesting they shared sensitive information with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Metropolitan Police are also assessing 'a whole range of suggested sexual allegations' against Mountbatten-Windsor to determine if any 'merit a criminal investigation'.

The details

Rowley said the Metropolitan Police need the unredacted Epstein files to determine the origin of the evidence and support any potential court cases. While the Department of Justice has insisted there is nothing more to investigate stateside, UK officials are carrying out unprecedented investigations into Mountbatten-Windsor and Mandelson. Rowley acknowledged that previous interviews with Virginia Guiffre did not provide evidence to support a criminal investigation in the UK, but he hopes the renewed look at the allegations against Mountbatten-Windsor can improve public trust in law enforcement.

  • In March 2026, the head of London's Metropolitan Police is pushing U.S. officials for unredacted material from the Epstein files.

The players

Sir Mark Rowley

The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in London.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

The former Prince Andrew, who is under investigation by UK authorities.

Peter Mandelson

The former British ambassador to the U.S. who is also under investigation by UK authorities.

Virginia Guiffre

An alleged victim of Jeffrey Epstein who previously made allegations against Prince Andrew.

Jeffrey Epstein

The convicted sex offender whose files are the subject of the investigations.

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What they’re saying

“Of course, there's a big body of that evidence … in the United States in all those files and at some stage we're going to need the unredacted evidence. We need the original copy and where did it come from and that's going to be necessary if we get to the stage of court cases.”

— Sir Mark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner

“With Virginia Guiffre, we did four of those interviews with her … .and those interviews didn't give us any evidence or any allegations of sexual offending or trafficking that we could investigate in the UK. That's why that investigation didn't go forward.”

— Sir Mark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner

“Policing in the UK will operate without fear or favor, that's the fundamental principle. I think if you don't have that, you're never going to have the trust and confidence of the public in policing, so that's really important to me.”

— Sir Mark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner

What’s next

The Metropolitan Police are awaiting a decision from the Department of Justice on whether they will be granted access to the unredacted Epstein files to further their investigations into Prince Andrew and Peter Mandelson.

The takeaway

The Metropolitan Police's push for unredacted Epstein files highlights the ongoing global efforts to uncover the full truth behind the Epstein scandal and hold all involved parties accountable, regardless of their status or position of power.