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A Kensington Palace spokesperson said the Prince and Princess of Wales were “deeply concerned” by the revelations in new documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein released by the US Department of Justice.
Speaking to reporters in Riyadh ahead of Prince William’s visit to Saudi Arabia later on Monday, the spokesperson for the first time shared the couple’s views on the crisis that has engulfed the palace and British Parliament in recent weeks.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles and uncle of Prince William, is one of several high-profile figures in British public life facing new scrutiny over their ties to the late sex offender.
A palace spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the Prince and Duchess are deeply concerned by the continuing revelations.”
“Their thoughts remain with the victims.”
Prince William is visiting Saudi Arabia on a three-day tour. The visit has already been a diplomatic test for the crown prince, which included a meeting with the crown prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
Saudi Arabia is one of Britain’s key allies in the Middle East, and the British government has strengthened its relationship with recent visits by the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary.
But while many others have expressed concern about the country’s human rights record, MBS is a controversial figure whose reputation was further tarnished in 2018 when a US intelligence report found he ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Prime Minister William’s role this week is to further strengthen bilateral ties without getting involved in politics. But they also face inevitable questions about former Prince Andrew following the recent revelations of the Epstein file.
A statement from his spokesperson on Monday, just hours before the start of the visit, suggests that Prince William wants to address the questions swirling around his uncle, which has overshadowed much of the royal family’s recent work, so he can focus on the main role of the visit.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor lost his role in the royal family due to his relationship with Mr Epstein, and in October King Charles took the unprecedented step of stripping him of his title and residence.
The former prince moved from the Royal Lodge, where he lived for many years in Windsor, last week and is now reportedly staying in a temporary home in Sandringham. He has not commented on the document’s release, but has previously apologized for his relationship with Epstein and denied any wrongdoing.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson also confirmed on Monday that Prince William and Duchess Kate supported King Charles’ actions last year to strip Mountbatten-Windsor of his titles and honors.
Buckingham Palace issued a statement in October, saying: “Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The Royal Lodge lease has so far provided the prince with legal protection to continue to reside there. A formal notice to relinquish the lease has now been served and the Prince will move to alternative private accommodation. These accusations are deemed necessary despite the fact that the Prince continues to deny the allegations against him.
“Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathy are and remain for victims and survivors of all forms of abuse.”
Prince William, in his role as heir to the throne, would have been consulted about the statement at the time.
Andrew on the Epstein Files
A series of documents recently released by the US Department of Justice has renewed pressure on Mountbatten-Windsor.
Among the millions of documents is a photo that appears to show a humiliated royal kneeling over a woman whose face has been edited. It is unclear when and where the image was taken. No caption or context for the photo was provided in the document release.
Separately, emails found in a Justice Department release appear to confirm the authenticity of a photo of Mountbatten-Windsor with his arm around the waist of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most famous victims of Epstein’s sex trafficking ring, who claims she was abused by the royal family as a teenager.
Mountbatten-Windsor has previously denied all of Giuffre’s accusations, saying he has no recollection of meeting her. He had previously questioned whether the now-infamous photo had been doctored. In 2022, the company reached a settlement with Giuffre, settling a sexual abuse lawsuit. The former prince denied wrongdoing, but acknowledged Giuffre’s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking.
Meanwhile, Thames Valley Police last week confirmed they were investigating allegations first reported by the BBC in which a second woman claims she was trafficked to the UK by Epstein in 2010 for sexual encounters with Mountbatten-Windsor.
“We are aware of reports regarding a woman who was allegedly taken to an address in Windsor for sexual purposes in 2010,” police said in a statement to CNN.
“We are evaluating the information according to established procedures.”
It continued: “We take any reports of sexual offenses very seriously and encourage anyone with information to come forward. To date, these allegations have not been reported to Thames Valley Police by either solicitors or clients.”
The police statement came after the BBC reported last month that the encounter allegedly took place at Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s former residence on the Windsor estate when the woman was in her 20s.
The woman’s lawyer, Brad Edwards, told the BBC that the non-British woman said she was given a tour of Buckingham Palace after spending the night with the man. CNN has reached out to Edwards for comment.
CNN has also attempted to contact Mountbatten-Windsor.
Last week, the Duke of Edinburgh became the first member of the royal family to speak publicly about the Epstein documents. “It’s really important to always remember the victims,” he told CNN’s Eleni Giokos after being asked how he was “coping” since the release of the latest Epstein documents.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
