Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and younger brother of King Charles III, has been embroiled in controversy primarily due to his long-standing friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the American financier and convicted sex offender who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Epstein ran a notorious network that trafficked underage girls for sexual exploitation, involving high-profile figures. Andrew hosted Epstein and 
Ghislaine Maxwell at royal events, such as a 2000 party at Windsor Castle for his 40th birthday and Maxwell's birthday celebration at Sandringham. In 2000, they attended a fundraiser at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago together. (photo: Prince Andrew with Donald Trump leaving Clarence House in London on 4 June 2019).