London, United Kingdom. Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate said they were deeply concerned by revelations in newly released Jeffrey Epstein files amid further disclosures involving Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Their spokesperson said their thoughts remained focused on victims.
William and Kate’s statement
A spokesperson for the Prince and Princess of Wales told reporters ahead of William’s arrival in Riyadh for a high-profile trip that they were deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. The spokesperson said their thoughts remained focused on the victims.
Royal family response
In October, King Charles and his wife Camilla said their thoughts and sympathies were with the victims and survivors of abuse. Monday’s comment from William and Kate was described as the most pointed message so far delivered by the royal family on the Epstein scandal.
Renewed scrutiny of Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, 65, the younger brother of King Charles and the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth, has faced years of scrutiny over his friendship with Epstein. In 2022, he settled a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager. Giuffre died by suicide in April.
Andrew has denied any wrongdoing and has not responded to requests for comment since the latest release of Epstein files. His relationship with Epstein has cost him his role in the royal family, titles and home.
Loss of roles and residence
Andrew quit all official royal duties in 2019. In October, Charles removed his title of prince. Last week, he was forced to move out of his royal mansion.
New disclosures in U.S. filings
In the latest batch of files released in the United States, emails suggest Andrew shared official British trade documents with Epstein in 2010, after Epstein’s conviction for child sex crimes, leaking information from his then-official role as a government envoy.
The documents appear to show Andrew forwarded Epstein reports about Vietnam, Singapore and other places that he had been sent in relation to an official trip. Trade envoys are usually barred from sharing sensitive or commercial documents under strict confidentiality rules.
What impact do you think these latest disclosures will have on the royal family’s handling of the Epstein scandal?
