Princess Sofia Addresses Past Links to Convicted Paedophile Jeffrey Epstein
Princess Sofia of Sweden has broken her silence for the first time regarding her past association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, an encounter that occurred approximately 20 years prior to her marriage into the Swedish royal family. The 41-year-old royal’s name appears in emails sent to Epstein in 2005, though she has vehemently stated she had no further contact with him after that period.
Speaking to the media upon her return from maternity leave, Princess Sofia expressed her deep sympathy for those affected by crime.
Princess Sofia, wife of Prince Carl Philip and daughter-in-law to Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, had been largely away from official royal engagements since the birth of her daughter, Princess Ines, in February of the previous year. Her connection to Epstein resurfaced publicly in December, leading to her absence from the traditional Nobel Prize awards ceremony in Stockholm, an event typically attended by the King, Queen, and other prominent royal family members. At the time of the revelations, the Royal House of Sweden confirmed that Princess Sofia had indeed met Epstein in New York during 2005.
On a recent Tuesday, Princess Sofia resumed her official duties by attending an event in the Swedish capital dedicated to Safer Internet Day.
A Brief, Social Encounter
Arriving for the Ctrl + Rights Youth Summit, Princess Sofia addressed the assembled media. “As we mentioned earlier, I met him in a couple of social settings,” she stated in Swedish. “But now that I have read about all the terrible crimes he has subjected young women to, I am so grateful I have had nothing to do with him since the few occasions in my 20s. My thoughts go out to all the victims of crime. I hope there is justice in this.” She elaborated that their meetings were in a social context, where she was introduced to Epstein at a restaurant and also attended a film screening. “Thank goodness that was all,” she added.
A palace source informed the newspaper Svensk Dam that Princess Sofia’s statement to the media was not pre-arranged. At the time of these encounters, the princess, then known as Sofia Hellqvist, was a student in Manhattan, pursuing studies in accounting at the New York Institute of English and Business. Prior to her royal title, Sofia was a recognisable figure in Sweden, having worked as a glamour model and appeared on a reality television show. Reports suggest that Swedish businesswoman Barbro Ehnbom, previously described as a mentor to Sofia and who attended her 2015 wedding, was the one who introduced her to Epstein.
Princess Sofia’s decision to address her past links with Epstein on the very day she returned from maternity leave is widely believed to be a strategic move aimed at curtailing further speculation and rumour.
Norwegian Royals Also Implicated
The Epstein scandal has also cast a shadow over the Norwegian royal family, which shares historical ties with Sweden’s monarchy. Crown Princess Mette-Marit, wife of Norway’s heir, Crown Prince Haakon, is also named within the recently unsealed Epstein files.
The correspondence between Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Epstein, comprising over 100 emails and text messages, spanned from 2011 to 2014. One email, dispatched from the Crown Princess’s official account on October 23, 2011, suggests she was aware of his 2008 conviction for sex offences against a minor.
Over the weekend, Crown Princess Mette-Marit issued her second public statement in as many weeks following the revelation of her past connections with Epstein, prompted by the US Department of Justice’s release of three million pages of texts and emails. The day prior to this, previously unseen photographs emerged depicting Crown Princess Mette-Marit meeting with Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, in New York. The photograph, captured at the Clinton Global Initiative event, shows the two women smiling at each other. Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son, Marius Borg Høiby, who is currently facing trial for rape and assault, accompanied his mother to Manhattan for the event.
In her second apology, Crown Princess Mette-Marit directly addressed her in-laws, Norway’s King and Queen. In a statement released on Friday, she said: “It is important for me to apologise to all of you whom I have disappointed. Some of the content of the messages between Epstein and me does not represent the person I want to be. I also apologise for the situation I have put the royal family in, especially the King and Queen.” The Royal House further conveyed that the Crown Princess wished to provide a more detailed explanation but was currently unable to, expressing her hope for understanding as she “needs time to gather her thoughts.”
