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Buckingham Palace said on Monday it was prepared to support any police investigation into King Charles’ younger brother after emails suggested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may have shared confidential British business documents with Jeffrey Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor, already ostracized from the royal inner circle because of his close relationship with Epstein, has faced renewed scrutiny since the recent release of millions of new documents relating to the late convicted American sex offender.
“The King has made clear, in unprecedented words and actions, his deep concern at the allegations that continue to emerge about Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct,” a palace spokesman said.
In the latest files released in the US, the emails suggest he shared official British business documents with Epstein in 2010, following Epstein’s conviction for child sex crimes, leaking information from his role as an official government envoy at the time.
The documents appear to show that Mountbatten-Windsor passed on to Epstein reports on Vietnam, Singapore and other places, which were sent to him in connection with official travel.
Trade envoys are generally prohibited from sharing sensitive or commercial documents. The 65-year-old second son of the late queen has always denied any wrongdoing and has not responded to requests for comment since the latest release of the Epstein files.
Thames Valley Police said the issue had been reported to them and they were assessing whether to formally investigate.
The palace added: “While there are specific allegations that need to be addressed by Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, if approached by Thames Valley Police, we are prepared to support them as you would expect.
“As previously stated, Their Majesties’ thoughts and sympathies are and remain with the victims of any and all forms of abuse.”
The king’s son, Prince William, and his wife, Catherine, said on Monday they were deeply concerned by the ongoing Epstein revelations, in another stark message from the royal family.
“Their thoughts remain with the victims,” their spokesman told reporters ahead of the prince’s arrival on a high-profile trip to Saudi Arabia.
Mountbatten-Windsor was forced to step down from all official royal duties in 2019 due to his links to Epstein, and in October Charles removed his title of prince. He was forced to move out of his royal mansion last week.
In 2022, he settled a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager, through her association with Epstein. Giuffre died by suicide last April.
An email in Jeffrey Epstein’s files believed to have been written by Ghislaine Maxwell appears to confirm that a photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with his arm around Virginia Giuffra, who has accused him of sexual abuse, is real.
Mountbatten-Windsor, 65, has always denied any wrongdoing and has not responded to requests for comment since the latest release of the Epstein files.
While the royal family has tried to distance itself from Mountbatten-Windsor, he remains a thorn in their side.
“Charles, how long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?” – shouted a man in the crowd recently when the king arrived in Clitheroe, in northern England, the second time he had been mobbed in a week.
Last week police said they were considering a new charge against Mountbatten-Windsor, prompted by the latest files, involving a woman taken to an address in Windsor, near London, where he lived on a royal estate.
Former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is facing increased scrutiny after a new tranche of the Epstein files revealed questionable photos and the BBC reported new allegations from a woman linking the two men.
‘Too many mistakes’
Over the past 10 days, revelations from the dossier have also engulfed Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in what is widely seen as the biggest crisis of his premiership, as he appointed Peter Mandelson, an acquaintance of Epstein, as ambassador to the US
Mandelson also appears to have shared sensitive government files from 2009 and 2010 with Epstein, and police are investigating allegations of misconduct in public service.
Starmer fired Mandelson last September after emails were released showing he maintained a friendship with Epstein after the financier was convicted of sex offenses involving a minor in 2008. Critics say Starmer should have known better than to appoint Mandelson, 72, a controversial figure whose career has been riddled with scandals over money or ethics.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch of the Conservative Party said Starmer had “made bad decision after bad decision” and that “his position is now untenable”.
Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar called on Starmer to resign on Monday. He is the most senior Labor figure to call on Starmer to resign.
‘We’re in this together’
Despite Sarwar’s intervention, Starmer later received messages of support from his senior ministers and some potential leadership rivals, and a positive reception at a meeting of Labor MPs suggested there would be no immediate move to oust him.
“Having fought so hard for the chance to change my country, I am not prepared to give up my mandate and my responsibility to my country, or plunge us into chaos, as others have done,” Starmer told the meeting, saying his focus was to prevent the populist Reform Party, led by veteran Brexiteer Nigel Farage, from taking power.
“It’s my fight, it’s all our fight, and we’re in this together.”
Starmer apologized last week for “believing Mandelson’s lies” and his chief of staff and communications director were held accountable, resigning from their positions as of Sunday.
A number of senior cabinet colleagues have come to Starmer’s defense on social media, including Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves.
Long-serving Labor MP Angela Rayner, seen as a potential leadership contender if Starmer is forced to stand down, also gave him her “full support”.
Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned on Sunday. The move follows days of turmoil over McSweeney’s involvement in the appointment of Peter Mandelson — who was acquainted with Jeffrey Epstein — as Britain’s ambassador to Washington.
The prime minister has promised to release documents related to Mandelson’s appointment, which the government says will show Mandelson misled officials about his links to Epstein.
The release of the documents could take weeks as they must be vetted for reasons of national security and possible conflicts with the police investigation.
