Feb 09, 2026
3 min read
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly known as Prince Andrew) is mentioned in all of Epstein's writings.
Buckingham Palace has said that King Charles III, if approached, will provide police support when they say he has a relationship with his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and his relationship with the recently convicted Jeffrey Epstein.
"The Queen has made clear, in unequivocal words and actions, her deep concern about the allegations that continue to emerge about the conduct of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor," the statement said.
The announcement came hours after Thames Valley Police confirmed they were "appreciating the information" that Andrew, while a UK trade representative, had shared a secret government report with Epstein detailing trips to Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam in 2010 and 2011.
Last week, the same police confirmed they were considering new charges that Epstein allegedly sent a woman to Andrew at his Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor in 2010.
"We are aware of reports of a woman who was sexually assaulted at an address in Windsor in 2010," a police spokesperson told TIME."We are evaluating the information in accordance with our established procedures."
Contact an Andrew representative for comment.
Andrew (formerly Prince Andrew) is being re-examined after the US Department of Justice released documents related to Epstein.Among the documents is a photograph of Andrew crouching on the floor.The woman's face has been altered and it is unclear when or where the photo was taken.
Prince William and Kate Middleton addressed the files on Monday morning.
"I can confirm that the Prince and Princess are very concerned about further disclosures. Their thoughts remain with the victims," a Kensington Palace spokesman said on behalf of the couple.
When Andrew's younger brother Prince Edward was asked about the release of the new files at a summit in Dubai last week, they were not the only members of the royal family to speak out: "It's always important to remember the victims and who are the victims in all of this?[There are] a lot of victims here."
Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 on one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution of a person under the age of 18. He is being held in New York's Jail 201 pending trial on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors.
Andrews' relationship with Epstein - and the fact that he continued to communicate with the disgraced financier after his initial conviction - has long been scrutinized.
Royal was famously interviewed on BBC Newsnight in 2019 and questioned why she visited Epstein in New York in 2010. (The pair were pictured walking together through Central Park during the visit.)
Andrew was accused of sexual assault by one of Epstein's biggest victims, the late Virginia Giuffre.He denied the charges.
In January 2022, Andrew was stripped of his royal patronage amid civil defamation charges brought by Giuffre.A month later, he settled a lawsuit against Giuffre for an undisclosed amount.
Andrew's remaining titles were stripped in late 2025 following additional allegations by Giuffre (who died in April 2025) that appeared in her posthumous memoir.
Sarah Ferguson, Andrew's ex-wife and mother of their two daughters, is also facing new questions about her relationship with Epstein following the release of Epstein's documents.
According to the email, Ferguson continued to communicate with Epstein after his first conviction.
In September, several charities severed ties with Ferguson after documents revealed she emailed Epstein, calling him a "good friend."Ferguson's spokesman noted that the former duchess "regrets" the financier.
While the emergence of the Epstein files continues to shake the royal family, the British government has also been embroiled in controversy since the last publication of the documents.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in crisis, facing serious questions about his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as British ambassador to the US in early 2025, despite his known past with Epstein.
After Mandelson was removed from his position as ambassador in September, he became closer to Epstein than he had previously revealed.An email released by the DOJ in January revealed more damage, as it may have exposed government sensitive information to Epstein in 2009 when Mandelson was Gordon Brown's business secretary.
Mandelson resigned from the ruling Labor Party last week, saying he wanted to avoid causing "further embarrassment".He also went down to the house of the lords.
The UK's Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into Mandelson "for misconduct in public office." Local police revealed on Friday afternoon that two properties linked to the former government minister had been searched in connection with the investigation.Mandelson has not been "arrested and investigations are ongoing," police said.
Read more: Epstein files broke Britain
Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned on Sunday following the row.In a statement, he took responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson to the role of ambassador.
"The decision to appoint Peter Mendelsohn was wrong. He has harmed our party, our country and confidence in politics itself," McSweeney said."When asked, I advised the Prime Minister to make this appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice."
On Monday morning, Starmer's director of communications, Tim Allan, resigned.
However, the departure did little to limit calls for Starmer to resign.
Opposition Conservative Party leader Cammy Badenoch said Starmer "must take responsibility for his terrible decisions" and said his position was "intolerable".Meanwhile, Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar said "there must be a change of leadership in Downing Street."
