Andrew Windsor ‘On the run?’ Fears of a secret escape from the Middle East are growing
Andrew Windsor has sparked fears he is secretly planning to avoid justice over his links to Epstein by hiding ‘under the coattails’ of his former fixer. RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Andrew’s former associate, David Stern, was named more than 7,400 times in the new batch of Epstein dossiers – which sources say is an “urgent hunt” to locate the German-born businessman now believed to be living in Abu Dhabi.
Businessman Stern, 48, emerged in the documents as a close ally of both Andrew, 66, and the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who died of an apparent suicide in 2019 at the age of 66 while awaiting trial on human trafficking charges.
The newly declassified Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice in late January show that Stern corresponded extensively with Epstein for several years — even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for child sex crimes and after Andrew publicly claimed to have stopped contact with him.
In a 2016 email cited in the files, Stern wrote to Epstein: “I’m always on your team!” In other conversations, Stern called Epstein his “boss” and described him as a “good friend.”
Emails also show Stern informing Epstein of Andrew’s movements, referring to the former Duke of York as “PA” (Prince Andrew), and sharing travel itineraries and details of business trips.
Stern accompanied Andrew on multiple taxpayer-funded trade missions in September and October 2010, traveling to Hong Kong, Beijing and Shenzhen, while Andrew served as the United Kingdom’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.
Emails show that Stern made arrangements for many meetings during those trips, and that Epstein may have arranged introductions through Stern — a possible violation of government protocol.
In one conversation, Stern wrote, “We’re having dinner in Beijing on Sunday with this p.” Investigators understand that the letter “p” was used as a despicable coded abbreviation for young women in the correspondence between Stern and Epstein.
Another email shows Stern sending Epstein a link to Andrew and Chinese actress Miya Muqi.
Stern’s communications with Epstein appear to have continued after Andrew resigned as Britain’s trade envoy in July 2011. In 2014, Stern allegedly passed on birthday wishes from Andrew to Epstein and sent the pedophile a crude message that showed champagne being poured over a naked woman.
In the same year, Stern is said to have asked Epstein to become his child’s godfather. Epstein declined, saying he already had one, adding: “As you know, I always keep my word, for better or for worse.”
Stern later became director of Andrew’s Pitch@Palace initiative in 2016 and was photographed alongside Queen Elizabeth II at an event at St James’s Palace that year.
He also became a member of the board of the St. George’s House Trust, founded by Prince Philip in 1966, although he resigned in November 2022.
Sir Claude Hankes, a lifelong member of St George’s House, wrote in an email: “To suggest as you do… that Mr Stern is a contact of the Queen is absurd. The Queen has no contacts, believe me. How anyone could have thought this defies logic. He may be known to the Duke of York.”
Emails further reveal that Stern obtained “short notice” permission for Epstein’s then-girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, then 26, to visit Buckingham Palace in April 2016. Epstein thanked Stern and wrote: “I appreciate what you are up to.” Stern replied, “It’s my pleasure. I’m always on your team!!”
A source close to the investigation into Andrew’s ties to Epstein said: “The sheer frequency with which Stern’s name appears in the files immediately elevated him from a peripheral figure to someone investigators consider crucial to understanding how these networks worked.
“If an individual is referred to more than 7,000 times, that is not an incident.
‘Authorities now want to get a clear picture of what his involvement actually entailed – whether he was merely a facilitator, a conduit for information, or something more important.
“As a result, active efforts are underway to determine exactly where he is based and to assess whether he would be willing – or compelled – to cooperate with any formal investigations.”
Another insider said: ‘Because Stern is quoted so extensively in the material, investigators are increasingly seeing him as an important connecting figure between Andrew and Epstein rather than as a casual acquaintance.
‘His correspondence shows that he was involved in their communications and logistics at crucial moments. If he is indeed living in Abu Dhabi, that introduces layers of legal and diplomatic complications when it comes to speaking to him officially.
“Obtaining testimony or cooperation from someone outside UK jurisdiction – especially in a region with different extradition frameworks – could make any attempt to question him much more challenging and time-consuming.”
It is unknown whether Stern will continue to have contact with Andrew, who has always denied any wrongdoing related to his ties to Epstein.
But another insider told us there are now “serious fears” that Andrew will try to seek refuge with his former colleague.
They added: “If Andrew manages to flee somewhere like Abu Dhabi, the investigation into him will become very difficult. He is now effectively seen as a flight risk.”
Andrew was released by police ‘under investigation’ after they arrested him on his 66th birthday last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office – a charge linked to suggestions in the new Epstein files that he had passed sensitive information to the abuser while acting as a trade envoy to Britain.
The crime carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
