The British Royal Family are famously tight‑lipped when it comes to their affairs — this much we all know. With that in mind, it’s hardly surprising that no official comment has been made following the release of the latest batch of Epstein files.
Last week, the Department of Justice allowed roughly 3.5 million documents connected to disgraced pedophile Jeffrey Epstein to enter the public domain. As expected, a large number of high‑profile individuals are named in them, including former prince Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor.
Andrew has been linked to Epstein for years, and that association alone was enough for him to be stripped of rank and virtually all his titles. Recently, he has been living in seclusion, having been effectively forced out of his residence in Windsor, U.K., and relocated to Norfolk.
As of now, no one has been charged solely because their name appears in the Epstein files, and officials have repeatedly emphasized that a celebrity’s name in emails or texts — or their face in photos or videos — is not proof of wrongdoing.
Of course, the court of public opinion operates differently, and speculation has run rampant since the DOJ released the documents on January 30.
As mentioned, former prince Andrew’s involvement with Epstein has been public knowledge for some time. In an attempt to defend himself, he agreed to a BBC Newsnight interview in 2019, only succeeding in undermining his own claims that he had cut ties with Epstein after the latter was convicted of Solicitation of Prostitution and Solicitation of Prostitution from a Minor in 2008.
Following that disastrous interview, Andrew immediately withdrew from public life, his reputation in ruins.
Unsurprisingly, Andrew appeared prominently in the new Epstein files released last Friday. His name reportedly shows up “several hundred times.”
What the Royal Family truly thinks about Andrew’s conduct will likely remain a closely guarded secret. It appears King Charles has done everything possible to distance the monarchy from his brother, even though no official comment on Andrew’s dealings has ever been issued. Andrew’s other brother, Prince Edward, however, offered what may be the closest thing to a public statement so far.
When approached by reporters outside the World Governments Summit in the United Arab Emirates, Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, was asked: “How are you coping?”
The question was clearly a reference to the release of the Epstein files — and Andrew’s inclusion — and seemed to catch him off guard.
“Well, with the best will in the world, I’m not sure this is the audience that is probably the least bit interested in that,” he replied.
“They all came here to listen to education, solving the future, but no, I think it’s always really important to remember the victims — and who the victims are in all this.
“A lot of victims in this.”
Andrew has repeatedly and categorically denied committing any crimes or engaging in sexual misconduct.
The former prince has previously stated he was willing to assist law enforcement if asked, though U.S. prosecutors later claimed he provided “zero cooperation” during their investigations.
What do you make of Andrew’s association with Epstein? Let us know in the comments.
