Palace says King Charles III will support police assessing former Prince
Andrew's Epstein links
[February 10, 2026]
By DANICA KIRKA
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III is ready to “support’’ UK police
examining claims that the former Prince Andrew gave confidential
information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Buckingham Palace
said on Monday.
The statement came after Thames Valley Police said Monday that they
were“assessing” reports that the former prince, now known as Andrew
Mountbatten-Windsor, sent trade reports to Epstein in 2010. The
department, which serves an area west of London that includes
Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home, previously said it was evaluating
allegations that Epstein flew a young woman to Britain to have sex with
Andrew, also in 2010.
“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,’’ the palace said in a
statement. “While the specific claims in question are for Mr.
Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley
Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect.’’
The statement is just the latest effort by the palace to distance the
royal family from Mountbatten-Windsor as the U.S. Justice Department’s
release of more than 3 million pages of documents from its investigation
into Epstein reveal more embarrassing details about the relationship
between the two men. Earlier in the day, Prince William and Princess
Catherine released their own statement saying they have been “deeply
concerned” by recent revelations.
The palace also reiterated Charles and Queen Camilla’s concern for the
victims of Epstein’s 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
palace said.
The jeopardy faced by the royal family could be seen Monday when Charles
visited Lancashire, in northwest England. While most of the crowd
clapped, cheered and waved flags, one person shouted, “How long have you
known about Andrew?”
Concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein have dogged the
royal family for more than a decade.
The late Queen Elizabeth II forced her second son to give up royal
duties and end his charitable work in 2019 after he tried to explain
away his friendship with Epstein during a catastrophic interview with
the BBC. After more details about the relationship emerged in a book
published last year, Charles stripped him of the right to be called a
prince and ordered him to move out of a royal residence close to Windsor
Castle.
But the Justice Department documents have brought new attention to
Mountbatten-Windsor as reporters home in on dozens of email exchanges
between Epstein and the former prince, many of which took place after
the financier was convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution in
2008.
Correspondence unearthed in recent days appear to show that
Mountbatten-Windsor sent Epstein copies of his reports from a 2010 tour
of Southeast Asia, which he undertook as Britain’s envoy for
international trade. An earlier email appears to show Andrew sharing his
itinerary for the two-week trip to Hanoi, Saigon, Singapore, Kuala
Lumpur and Hong Kong with Epstein.
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Britain's Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince
Andrew, looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins
Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20,
2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
“We can confirm receipt of this report and are assessing the
information in line with our established procedures,” Thames Valley
police said in a statement released on Monday.
Adding to the storm, a U.S.-based attorney said on Feb. 1 that he
represented a woman who alleges Epstein flew her to Britain to have
sex with Mountbatten-Windsor. The encounter took place at Royal
Lodge, the former prince’s longtime home in Windsor, the attorney
said in an interview with the BBC.
Police previously said they were assessing this report.
The king last week forced Mountbatten-Windsor to move out of Royal
Lodge months ahead of schedule. Anger over Mountbatten-Windsor’s
living arrangements had grown amid concern that he was still reaping
rewards from his status as a royal even though he is no longer a
working member of the royal family.
Mountbatten-Windsor is now living on the king’s Sandringham estate
in eastern England. He will live temporarily at Wood Farm Cottage
while his permanent home on the estate undergoes repairs. Unlike
Royal Lodge, which is owned by the crown and managed for the benefit
of taxpayers, Sandringham is owned privately by the king.
Thames Valley Police began its latest inquiry after Graham Smith,
chief executive of the anti-monarchy group Republic, reported
Mountbatten-Windsor for suspected abuse of public office and
violations of Britain’s Official Secrets Act.
Smith, whose group seeks to replace the king with an elected head of
state, compared Mountbatten-Windsor’s correspondence with Epstein to
earlier revelations about Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former
ambassador to the U.S., who is already the subject of a police
investigation into whether he shared sensitive information with
Epstein. Those communications were also revealed in the Justice
Department documents.
“I cannot see any significant difference between these allegations
and those against Peter Mandelson,” Smith said on social media.
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