Canada’s newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney attended a private dinner function hosted by Prince Andrew at Buckingham Palace in March 2014—even after Andrew’s ties to convicted sex offender and human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein were made public.
Paid for personally by Andrew, the dinner party brought together around 20 high-profile figures from the banking sector, including Carney and senior executives from major banks like J.P. Morgan, Barclays, and HSBC.
Carney, who had been appointed as the Bank of England Governor just months earlier, was personally invited by Andrew to discuss financial issues with other industry leaders.
“Mr. Carney was invited by the Duke of York, who brought together figures from a range of financial institutions, such as banks and hedge funds,” said a Bank of England spokesman on the event.
Before the dinner function, Prince Andrew’s reputation had already begun to deteriorate due to revelations regarding his close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Virginia Giuffre, who accused the British royal and Epstein of exploiting her and trafficking her as a teenager, died suddenly just days ago.
Epstein, a financier, had ties to many—including high-profile celebrities, figures in the financial sector, politicians, and royalty—before being arrested on multiple disturbing charges.
While a medical examiner said he died by suicide in jail, questions persist about his death and crimes.
Carney’s attendance at a party with Andrew has brought renewed attention to the ongoing controversy surrounding Carney’s associations with Epstein and his associates.
Questions about Carney’s association with Epstein and his associates have gone largely unanswered, even after the newly elected Canadian Prime Minister could be seen in widely circulated photographs alongside Epstein’s girlfriend and co-accused Gislaine Maxwell.