Why King Charles finally stripped Andrew of his royal title
Royal expert and author Andrew Rowney explains how the royal family tried to protect Andrew amid the Epstein scandal.
King Charles has spoken out for the first time since further documents linking his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to Jeffrey Epstein were recently released.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on February 9: “The King has made clear through his words and unprecedented actions his deep concern about the allegations that continue to come to light regarding Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct.”
“While the specific allegations in question are for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to deal with, should Thames Valley Police contact us, as you can imagine, we stand ready to assist them,” the statement continued. “As I have said previously, Their Majesties’ thoughts and sympathies are with those who have been and continue to be victims of abuse in all its forms.”
Thames Valley Police said communications issues between Mr Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly known as Prince Andrew) and Mr Epstein had been reported to police for more than a decade and they were considering whether to formally investigate.
Emails between Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor and Mr. Epstein suggest that the member of the British royal family shared official British trade documents with Mr. Epstein in 2010, leaking information from his role as a government envoy at the time, according to the latest files released by the Department of Justice on January 30. This would have been done after Epstein was convicted of child sex crimes.
King Charles’ statement follows comments from his brother Prince Edward, son Prince William and daughter-in-law Princess Kate. Members of the royal family continued to convey the same message as the king by focusing their comments on Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking victims.
In a statement on October 30, when King Charles began the formal process of stripping him of his Mountbatten-Windsor titles, the palace said: “These accusations are deemed necessary despite the fact that the King continues to deny the allegations against him.”
“Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathy are and remain for victims and survivors of all forms of abuse,” the statement continued.
What do Epstein’s files reveal about former Prince Andrew?
The documents appear to show that Mr. Andrew forwarded Mr. Epstein’s reports on Vietnam, Singapore and other countries, which were sent in connection with official visits.
One of several photos included in the 3 million new files shows Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling on all fours over an unidentified woman on the ground.
Mountbatten-Windsor renounced her royal title in October, despite “strongly” denying sexual abuse allegations linked to Epstein (including claims by the late Virginia Giuffre that Epstein trafficked her to Mountbatten-Windsor and that members of the royal family raped her when she was a minor).
Following Giuffre’s earlier lawsuit in September 2021, his mother (the late Queen Elizabeth II) revoked her second son’s military connections and royal patronage in 2022, and later settled the case for an undisclosed amount. Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025.
Contributors: Michael Holden, Sarah Young, Sam Tabahriti, Reuters
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline provides free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish to survivors and their loved ones: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.
