Prince William and Kate Middleton have publicly addressed the recently released documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender, for the first time. A spokesperson for the couple stated, “I can confirm The Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations,” adding, “Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.” Kensington Palace confirmed the comments ahead of the couple’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice released over 3 million records detailing crimes committed by Epstein and his associates, including Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Epstein died in prison in 2019 at age 66.
The documents reference Prince Andrew, William’s uncle, who has been removed from royal duties due to his association with Epstein. Included in the files is a photo of Andrew crouching over an unidentified woman, an email verifying the authenticity of a 2001 photo showing then-17-year-old Virginia Giuffre with Andrew, and an email containing crude remarks by Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, about their daughter Eugenie, who was 19 at the time. Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
In October, King Charles III stripped Andrew of his “prince” and “Duke of York” titles and forced him to vacate Royal Lodge, his residence for two decades. Ferguson also lost her title as Duchess of York. Andrew stated in a public announcement, “I vigorously deny the accusations against me,” while emphasizing his commitment to supporting the monarchy.
Before this recent statement, William and Kate had avoided commenting on Andrew’s ties to Epstein, even during a January visit to Scotland when a heckler repeatedly shouted, “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?” The couple ignored the disruption, continuing their public engagement as a security officer intervened to stop the shouting.