Happy Monday!
Hello, Curse and Coffee friends,
Today, we explore Andrew and Epstein's Buckingham Palace dinners.
Hit reply and let us know what you think (we read all of your kind words).
Coffee at the ready…
The Big Sip
The take: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor invited a convicted sex trafficker to Buckingham Palace weeks after Epstein finished house arrest for soliciting a minor.
What happened: DOJ released over 3 million pages of Epstein files on Friday, including September 2010 emails where Andrew offered Epstein "dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy."
Why it matters: Andrew paid millions in an out-of-court settlement in 2022 after Giuffre filed a civil suit; while he didn't admit wrongdoing, he acknowledged her suffering as a victim of sex trafficking.
What to watch: Democrats say DOJ identified over 6 million potentially responsive pages but released only about 3.5 million.
Timing: The statement came as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demanded clarity on why half of the 6 million identified pages remain unreleased.
Here’s Your Brew
It's the timing that gets you.
Epstein served almost 13 months of his 18-month sentence before being released July 22, 2009, then placed on house arrest until August 2010. House arrest ends.
Within weeks, Andrew's coordinating Palace visits.
We knew they were friends. The Central Park photos established that in 2010.
What's jarring is how casual this reads. Epstein writes he has "a friend" Andrew might "enjoy having dinner with." Andrew replies: "Of course."
He asks what else might be "useful to know."
Epstein responds:
"She 26, russian, clevere beautiful, trustworthy."
Andrew emailed from an account labelled "The Duke," signed messages "A, HRH The Duke of York KG." No code names. No burner accounts.
Just his official handle, corresponding with a registered sex offender about dinner plans.
There's no cover-up here. That's almost the problem.
Nobody seemed to think this needed covering up..
Two Sides, One Mug
Pro: Being in files doesn't prove misconduct; Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing and was never criminally charged. (The DOJ noted that presence in investigative files isn't, on its own, evidence of wrongdoing.)
Con: The revelations come three months after King Charles stripped Andrew of his royal titles as he tried to insulate the monarchy from stories about his brother's Epstein relationship.
Our read: You don't get stripped of "Prince" for bad photos. The pattern of contact was too much to explain away, charges or not.
Receipt of the Day
[Report] U.S. Department of Justice, January 30, 2026
Friday's release includes numerous FBI interview records, known as 302s, from alleged victims of Epstein, with detailed statements provided to authorities regarding their time with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell from 2013 to 2021. ABC News
Why it matters: 302s are the FBI's interview notes, taken at the time of the interview. No ghostwriter. No editorial filter. Just what witnesses told agents.
Spit Take
6 million Epstein pages identified. DOJ released roughly half. — DOJ Press Conference.
Your Coffee Break Links (and water cooler chatter)
Mugshot Poll 📊
Andrew reportedly moved to Marsh Farm. Rename the old Royal Lodge?
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