The royal families of Norway and Britain faced mounting criticism on Monday after newly released files tied to Jeffrey Epstein suggested that members of both families, including Norway’s future queen, had close relationships with him even after he became a convicted sex offender.
The files suggest that Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway and Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, kept up friendships with Mr. Epstein years after he registered as a sex offender and was sentenced to jail, at a time when some of his crimes were widely reported. He was found guilty of soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008.
Ties between Mr. Epstein and the two women had already been publicly reported, and the emails do not show any evidence of criminal activity on their part. But the emails offered new details and in some cases showed that the relationships were deeper than previously known.
The files are partially redacted copies of emails between Mr. Epstein and accounts that appear to belong to Ms. Ferguson and to the Norwegian crown princess. The emails were published by the Department of Justice last week as part of a wider release of three million documents.
The emails, which include details about visiting Mr. Epstein’s residence and jokes about his pursuit of women, appear to show that the Norwegian crown princess was closer to him than the palace had previously acknowledged. The emails were sent between 2011 and 2013 from an account labeled H.K.H. Kronprinsessen, which means “Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess” in Norwegian, and sometimes refer to Mr. Epstein with terms of endearment.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit said in a statement on Monday that she took “responsibility for not having investigated Epstein’s background more thoroughly” and that she regretted “having had any contact with Epstein.” She said Mr. Epstein’s victims had her “deep sympathy and solidarity.”
A spokeswoman for the Norwegian royal family declined to comment further.
The release of the emails, which came just days before the crown princess’s son is set to stand trial in a rape case, have thrown the Norwegian royal family into further turmoil.
“I understand why many people have reacted strongly to the revelations in the documents,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store of Norway said in a statement on Sunday. “I have too.”
“Crown Princess Mette-Marit has herself acknowledged that she has exercised poor judgment, and I agree with her,” he added.
Kjetil B. Alstadheim, the political editor at Aftenposten, one of Norway’s largest newspapers, asked in an essay on Sunday: “Can Mette-Marit become queen after this?”
The new batch of files has also convulsed Britain and its royal family. The documents include what appear to be compromising photos of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, and emails hinting at Mr. Epstein’s cozy friendship with Ms. Ferguson, once Duchess of York.
Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his title last year because of previous revelations about his ties to Mr. Epstein. Amid the scandal, Ms. Ferguson also stopped using her courtesy title, the Duchess of York, which she continued to use for decades after their 1996 divorce.
The emails are from an account labeled only “Sarah,” and some personal information is redacted in the release. But key details, including references to “the Duchess,” suggest they are from Ms. Ferguson.
A 2010 email, apparently from Ms. Ferguson, refers to Mr. Epstein as “a legend,” adding, “I am at your service. Just marry me.”
Another email from 2009 refers to Mr. Epstein as the “brother I always wished for.” Another from the same year points to him paying for flights for “the Duchess and the girls,” apparently referencing travel for Ms. Ferguson and her daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice. Other emails appear to show Ms. Ferguson telling Mr. Epstein she urgently needs money for rent after a failed business venture.
In 2011, Ms. Ferguson had admitted that Mr. Epstein helped pay off her debts and apologized for her “terrible error of judgment” in “having anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein.”
Representatives for the British royal family did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Ms. Ferguson were not immediately available for comment.
In Norway, too, Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s relationship with Mr. Epstein was already known. In 2019, the palace told Norway’s main financial newspaper that she was not aware of the scope of the crimes he had been convicted of, or their nature, when she was in contact with him.
The newly released files suggest that they were closer than previously reported. The emails that appear to be from the crown princess, some of which are signed “Mm” and “Mette m,” include discussions of shopping trips, book recommendations, vacations, illnesses and social obligations.
In emails from 2013, Mr. Epstein’s team made plans for a “Mette” to visit “the PB house” — he had a house in Palm Beach, Fla. — and to send his driver to retrieve her from a Miami airport.
The emails also repeatedly express warmth toward Mr. Epstein.
“You r such a sweetheart,” said one email sent from H.K.H. Kronprinsessen.
“Are you coming over to see me soon???” said another. “I miss my crazy friend.”
The emails also feature repeated jokes about Mr. Epstein’s pursuit of women.
“I am on my wife hunt,” he wrote in 2012. “paris is proving interesting but i prefer scandinavians.”
“Paris good for adultery,” an email sent from H.K.H. Kronprinsessen replied, adding, “Scandis better wife material.”
One email from 2011 suggests that the crown princess became aware of wrongdoing on Mr. Epstein’s part, although it is unclear what it is referring to.
“Googled u after last email,” the email reads. “Agree didn’t look too good : )”
The latest revelations have threatened to again jeopardize Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s public standing. Her engagement to Crown Prince Haakon shocked Norway, but days before the wedding in 2001, she sought to soothe fears by publicly apologizing for her “wild life” and condemning drug use.
She has since won over some Norwegians, but her ties to Mr. Epstein have put her under new scrutiny.
“It is not just the Crown Princess who has shown exceptionally poor judgment, but an entire state apparatus that has played bankrupt with Norway’s international reputation,” Ole-Jorgen Schulsrud-Hansen, a royal commentator for Norway’s TV2, wrote in an essay last week.
The Norwegian princess’s son, Marius Borg Hoiby, who has no title or official royal duties, is set to stand trial on Tuesday. He has been charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault. A lawyer for Mr. Borg Hoiby has said that he “doesn’t acknowledge any wrongdoing in most of the cases — especially the cases regarding sexual abuse and violence.”
Mr. Borg Hoiby was 4 years old when his mother married Crown Prince Haakon, now his stepfather, in 2001.
Henrik Pryser Libell contributed reporting.
Amelia Nierenberg is a Times reporter covering international news from London.
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