Police Scotland investigate Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s visit to Balmoral

Detectives are investigating time spent by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at the king’s private estate in Scotland.

Police Scotland said it had received “information” and an investigation was at a “very early stage” into the time the disgraced royal spent with the late child sex offender at Balmoral.

The Daily Express reported that the inquiries relate to claims that women were trafficked to the estate in the Scottish Highlands.

Pictures previously released by the US Department of Justice appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein on a shooting trip at the estate.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We have received information and active inquiries are ongoing but these are at a very early stage. All inquiries are evidence-led, with the needs of victim survivors at the heart of those inquiries.

“We would never confirm details of ongoing inquiries and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”