“Shame” or “embarrassment”? Inside Epstein’s elite circle Europe’s moral crisis exposed

“It is simply embarrassing,” admits Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit. In some translations from Norwegian, this phrase appears as “I am embarrassed,” but in essence, the meaning is the same. The Norwegian royal family member expressed regret over her past lack of foresight in her contacts with the infamous American financier Jeffrey Epstein — a convicted pedophile involved in pimping and sex trafficking.

This admission came in the wake of the U.S. Department of Justice releasing documents from the Epstein case a few days ago. These materials revealed his “close” and other connections with individuals whom many in the Euro-Atlantic sphere have long regarded as the “cream” of the global elite across various sectors. In these documents, the Crown Princess’s name appears in more than a thousand files.

According to a recent survey conducted by one of Norway’s largest daily newspapers, Verdens Gang (VG), nearly half of respondents do not support the prospect of Mette-Marit ascending to the throne. As VG’s editor noted, this is “dramatic, but not surprising, since the survey was conducted after news of the Crown Princess’s contacts with Epstein.”

However, it is unlikely that this alone influenced Norwegians’ reassessment of the country’s future monarchy. The events surrounding Epstein coincided with the start, on February 3, of a trial in Norway involving the Crown Princess’s son, Marius Borg Høiby, who faces more than 30 charges, including four counts of rape.

Moreover, one day before the hearings began, he was arrested again on suspicion of assault and making threats with a knife. Against this backdrop, Norwegian society was reminded that Marius Borg Høiby was born before Mette-Marit began her relationship with Crown Prince Haakon — from Morten Borg, a man with a criminal past that includes drug-related offences and prison time.

In this context, many were also “understanding” of the events in 2024, when Høiby was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend — an incident he admitted occurred “under the influence of cocaine and alcohol.”

Meanwhile, Norway’s “Epstein-related” compromising material did not stop there. Notably, Norway’s ambassador to Jordan, veteran diplomat Mona Juul, was suspended from her duties during the investigation into her possible ties with Epstein. In this regard, several media outlets reported the existence of documents indicating that Epstein provided financial support to an organisation run by her husband, amounting to around $6 million.

Another Norwegian connection in the Epstein case has also come to the attention of the international community. This time, it involves Thorbjørn Jagland, who served as Secretary General of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019 — the same person who had previously explained his contacts with Jeffrey Epstein as the result of “ordinary diplomatic activity.”

However, Norwegian sources point to published data suggesting that Jagland discussed not only matters of cooperation with the American millionaire but also joint investments, and even approached him for financial assistance in purchasing a house.

Moving forward in light of the revelations published by the U.S. Department of Justice, attention must also be paid to the British connection. This concerns King Charles III’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew and Duke of York. He was stripped of his princely title by the royal family following earlier revelations of his ties to Epstein. However, it has now emerged that he maintained close relations with Epstein even after the latter was convicted of sexual crimes against minors.

Against this backdrop, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasised the importance of full procedural transparency and cooperation with the American authorities.

Almost simultaneously, it became public that former UK ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson left the Labour Party. He explained his decision as a desire not to create additional problems amid the emergence of new information regarding his contacts with Epstein. In response, Starmer, stressing that Mandelson could no longer retain his status as a member of the House of Lords, ordered an immediate investigation into his links with Epstein during his tenure in the British government.

Subsequently, it emerged that former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had agreed to a request from the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee to testify in the Epstein case.

Against this backdrop, a certain conclusion can already be drawn about the events unfolding before the eyes of the world. “Shame,” as Norway’s Crown Princess said (even if some translate her words as “embarrassment”). But whether it is shame or embarrassment, what we are witnessing is clearly the moral degradation of the so-called “blooming garden,” regularly shaken by corruption scandals or outright moral lawlessness.

In the Epstein case, this lawlessness is evident in the fact that “dinner guests” repeatedly failed to sever ties with the pedophile and abuser of minors even after official charges were brought against him.

The moral—or, by now, openly immoral—character of these figures is revealed not only in isolated incidents but also in their ability to operate on two, three, or even more fronts simultaneously. For example, in a 2018 letter to Jagland, Epstein offered to inform Russian President Vladimir Putin that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov could allegedly receive “valuable information” from the American.

That is it—short, clear, and undeniable. No “buts.” This largely explains Jagland’s persistent anti-Azerbaijani statements.

This is the essence of the so-called “blooming garden” of liberal preachings—whether among princes, government officials of leading European countries, or Brussels bureaucrats. A garden tainted by corruption and generously seasoned with moral decay, where representatives of the liberal establishment of all stripes have sunk to a level beneath contempt.