LONDON, Feb 10 : The UK’s King Charles III, for the first time, has publicly stepped into the limelight following the disclosures from the latest batch of the Epstein files, and pledged Buckingham Palace’s full cooperation with any police investigation into allegations involving his disgraced brother and the former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
In a statement issued on Monday, a palace spokesperson said the King had made clear “in words and through unprecedented actions” his deep concern over the disconcerting allegations which are continuing to emerge about his brother’s conduct, stating that the Palace was prepared to give authorities “their full support” in their investigations.
The move follows the release of more than three million pages of documents by the US Justice Department last month, including emails alleging that Andrew shared confidential trade briefings with Jeffrey Epstein in 2010, two years after the late financier had been convicted of child sex offences.
Furthermore, the emails in the files suggest that Windsor had passed on reports concerning visits to Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam, as well as sensitive information about potential investment opportunities in Afghanistan.
According to the files, some of the material was forwarded within minutes of being received from Windsor’s then advisor, raising questions about whether official confidentiality rules were breached.
At the time, Andrew was serving as a government trade representative, a role governed by strict guidelines requiring the protection of sensitive commercial and political information.
The former prince has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has not commented publicly since the latest tranche of documents was released.
In Britain, authorities in the Thames Valley Police confirmed that they are assessing whether there are grounds for launching a formal investigation.
Officers are reviewing a complaint submitted by the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, which alleges misconduct in public office and possible breaches of official secrecy laws.
Senior royals have also sought to distance themselves from the controversy, with the spokesperson for Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, stating that the couple was “deeply concerned” by the continuing revelations, saying that their thoughts “remain focused on the victims”. The comment came ahead of Prince William’s official visit to Saudi Arabia.
There has also been much public anger, emerging from the revelations as during a royal engagement in Clitheroe in northern England on Monday, a member of the crowd shouted at the King, “How long have you known about Andrew?” which led to much booing from the rest of the crowd.
Andrew Windsor had stepped back from public duties in 2019 amid the massive criticism spilling over from his association with Epstein.
In 2022, he reached a financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager — charges he has repeatedly denied. Giuffre died by suicide last year.
In October 2025, following an earlier wave of Epstein-related disclosures, Andrew was stripped of his remaining royal titles and later asked to vacate Royal Lodge in Windsor for a private royal estate.
The repercussions of the Epstein files have also spilled into British politics, putting pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his decision to appoint the disgraced ex-MP Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US.
Documents suggest Mandelson, too, shared sensitive government material with Epstein in 2009 and 2010, prompting police to review allegations of misconduct in public office linked to those disclosures.
(UNI)
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