Buckingham Palace has said it is prepared to assist police should they open a formal investigation into fresh allegations involving Prince Andrew, King Charles III’s
younger brother, following the release of new documents linked to convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The statement came after emails published in recently unsealed U.S. court files appeared to suggest that Andrew, whose full name is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, may have shared confidential British trade documents with Epstein in 2010. At the time, Andrew was serving as a UK trade envoy — a role that typically prohibits the sharing of sensitive or commercial material.
The allegations have renewed scrutiny of Andrew, who was already sidelined from royal life over his longstanding association with Epstein. Millions of documents connected to Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, have been released in recent months, dragging several high-profile figures back into public focus.
“The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said. While stressing that the specific claims are for Andrew to address himself, the palace added that it would fully cooperate if contacted by Thames Valley Police.
According to the newly released files, the emails suggest Andrew forwarded Epstein reports concerning Vietnam, Singapore and other destinations linked to an official overseas trip. Trade envoys are generally barred from distributing such information outside government channels.
Andrew, 65, has consistently denied wrongdoing and has not responded publicly since the latest Epstein-related documents were released.
Thames Valley Police confirmed that the matter has been referred to them and said officers are currently assessing whether the threshold has been met to open a formal investigation.
The palace reiterated that the royal family’s sympathies remain with victims of abuse. “As was previously stated, Their Majesties’ thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain, with the victims of any and all forms of abuse,” the spokesperson said.
Prince William and his wife Catherine also issued a pointed statement on Monday, saying they were “deeply concerned” by the continuing revelations surrounding Epstein. Their spokesperson said the couple’s thoughts were focused firmly on the victims, speaking ahead of Prince William’s high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia.
Prince Andrew stepped back from all official royal duties in 2019 following public backlash over his relationship with Epstein. In 2022, he reached a financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of sexually abusing her as a teenager — allegations he denied. Giuffre died by suicide in April last year.
Since then, King Charles has continued to distance the monarchy from his brother. Andrew has lost his military titles, was stripped of his “HRH” style, and was recently asked to vacate his royal residence.
Despite these moves, the controversy continues to cast a shadow over the royal family. During a recent public appearance in northern England, King Charles was heckled by a member of the crowd who shouted questions about how long the monarch had known about Andrew’s ties to Epstein — a reminder that the issue remains a sensitive and unresolved embarrassment for the crown. Photo by Diliff, Wikimedia commons.