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By Jack Royston
Chief Royal Correspondent
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Prince William and Princess Kate are "deeply concerned by the continuing revelations" about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, their spokesperson said.
Virginia Giuffre accused Mountbatten-Windsor of raping her when she was a 17-year-old sex trafficking victim in 2001. Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied the allegations and settled a New York lawsuit with Giuffre for an undisclosed sum.
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Emails released in recent weeks as part of the Department of Justice's Epstein files have shown the disgraced financier appearing to arrange for Mountbatten-Windsor to have dinner with a 26-year-old Russian woman, among new revelations.
William and Kate have stayed largely silent on the issue, but their spokesperson expressed the sympathy for the victims in a statement in Riyadh at the start of William's visit to Saudi Arabia on Monday.
"I can confirm The Prince and Princess of Wales have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations," the spokesperson said, quoted by Sky News. "Their thoughts remain focused on the victims."
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Why It Matters
William is widely thought to have been a leading advocate within the Monarchy for taking a tougher line on Mountbatten-Windsor, who is his uncle.
At the same time, his tour of Saudi Arabia stand to be somewhat overshadowed by continued revelations from the Epstein files, with a background risk he could be asked about it by those he meets, as his father was last week during a royal engagement in Britain.
A member of the public in Dedham, Essex, shouted at King Charles III last week: "Charles, Charles, have you pressurized the police to start investigating Andrew?"
What to Know
William and Kate's intervention, via their spokesperson, comes after Prince Edward became the first royal family member to speak on camera about the scandal last week.
After a question from CNN, Prince Edward told the World Governments Summit, in Dubai: "It's really important always to remember the victims in all this, and who are the victims in this?" After a pause, he added: "A lot of victims in this."
Giuffre first described being flown to London and paid to meet Mountbatten-Windsor by Jeffrey Epstein in a February 2011 interview with the Mail on Sunday.
Ever since, the scandal has followed Mountbatten-Windsor and after an effort to tell his side of the story in November 2019 through a BBC interview, he was forced to step back from public life.
In October, Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles following the publication of Giuffre's memoir, Nobody's Girl, released months after her suicide in April 2025.
At the same time, emails released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee were casting doubt over Mountbatten-Windsor's past account of how he broke off his friendship with Epstein.
In 2026, however, the scandal escalated again with the release by the Department of Justice of 3 million documents from the Epstein Files.
The Epstein fallout has also intensified pressure on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose authority has been shaken by the resignation of his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, after he took responsibility for advising the appointment of Labour figure Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador despite his past ties to Epstein. The crisis deepened with the subsequent departure of Downing Street communications chief Tim Allan on Monday, fueling criticism from opposition figures and unrest within Labour over Starmer’s judgment and leadership.
What People Are Saying
On October 30, a Buckingham Palace statement read: "His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
"His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation.
"These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him. Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse."
Around two weeks earlier, the palace released a statement from Mountbatten-Windsor on October 17: "In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.
"I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.
"With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me."
What Happens Next
Prince William begins his tour of Saudi Arabia on Monday as in Britain calls mount for a police investigation into Andrew.
Update, 02/09/2026, 9:17 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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