Lord Mandelson, a well-known political figure dubbed the Prince of Darkness for his reputation as a political fixer, found himself in an embarrassing situation when he was caught urinating in public. The incident occurred after a visit to George Osborne’s residence in Notting Hill, where the former US ambassador was photographed relieving himself against a wall. Following the incident, Lord Mandelson issued a public apology, explaining that he was left waiting on the street for half an hour due to being stood up by two Uber drivers and was in urgent need of a restroom.
In a separate development, it was revealed that Lord Mandelson had been removed from his honorary role at the Design Museum due to controversy surrounding his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The decision to dismiss Lord Mandelson from the prestigious position was made by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in September, following revelations of his close ties to Epstein. Additionally, Lord Mandelson lost his honorary position at the publicly-funded Design Museum in London, where he had previously served as chairman.
Recent disclosures indicated that Lord Mandelson maintained contact with Epstein until 2016, with email exchanges showing continued communication between the two individuals. The Design Museum’s website previously listed Lord Mandelson as a “Trustee Emeriti,” but his profile was removed after inquiries were made about his role. A museum spokesperson clarified that Lord Mandelson no longer held any formal position at the institution and that the honorary title had been revoked by the museum’s decision.
Furthermore, correspondence from 2016 revealed supportive messages from Lord Mandelson to Epstein, even after Epstein’s criminal conviction. The emails were made public as part of thousands of documents released by the US House Oversight Committee. Lord Mandelson’s association with Epstein raised significant concerns, especially in light of his subsequent appointment as chairman of the Design Museum.
The Design Museum, a registered charity, received financial support from various sources, including £1.3 million from the Arts and Humanities Research Council in the fiscal year 2023-2024. Lord Mandelson expressed regret over his relationship with Epstein and was contacted for comment regarding his former role at the Design Museum.
