Epstein was known to have attended the 18th birthday celebrations in 2006, two months after a US warrant had been issued for his arrest for the sexual assault of a minor.
He was later jailed, with Prince Andrew going to visit him in New York after he was released.
Asked about the party invitation in 2019, Prince Andrew told BBC Newsnight: “Certainly I wasn’t aware when the invitation was issued what was going on in the United States and I wasn’t aware until the media picked up on it because he never said anything about it.”
The BBC has now quoted a witness who recalls seeing Weinstein and Epstein at a drinks reception in the back garden of Royal Lodge before Princess Beatrice’s birthday, before guests travelled to nearby Windsor Castle for the main party.
The prince has a “cast iron” lease with the Crown Estate, where he pays a peppercorn rent having funded £8 million ($18.4m) of renovations up front, meaning he cannot be evicted.
He is currently in negotiations with the palace over alternative accommodation, including Frogmore Cottage.
Despite reports that a settlement is close to being reached, Prince Andrew has not been seen in public since October 3 and has not yet officially conceded he will leave.
The palace is understood to also be considering helping Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew’s ex-wife who has not been an official working royal since their divorce, to find a new home.
Royal Lodge has a long royal history including as a former home of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The young Princess Elizabeth – later Elizabeth II – had a playhouse in its garden.
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