Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, have broken their public silence on the latest release of documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein, expressing that they are "deeply concerned" as renewed scrutiny again places Prince Andrew at the center of an international controversy.
In a brief statement issued by Kensington Palace, a spokesperson said the Prince and Princess of Wales' "thoughts remain focused on the victims," marking one of the clearest acknowledgements yet from the next generation of royal leadership that the unfolding disclosures extend beyond reputational discomfort. The intervention came as Prince William prepared to depart for an official overseas visit, underscoring the growing difficulty of insulating future-facing royal duties from unresolved scandals tied to the institution.
The comments follow a fresh release of U.S. Justice Department materials connected to the Epstein investigations, which have circulated widely in recent days. Among the newly discussed documents is an email exchange dated September 2010 in which Prince Andrew appears to invite Epstein to dinner at Buckingham Palace. In the exchange, Epstein reportedly asked whether he could bring a "Romanian very cute" woman, to which Andrew replied: "Yes. Plenty of space here for chat! Bring them."
The Palace statement did not reference Andrew directly, nor did it address the substance of any specific document. Royal advisers have long treated silence as a containment strategy, but the decision to comment at all signals an awareness that the cumulative weight of disclosures has made inaction increasingly untenable.
The timing of the statement was notable. It was released just as Prince William began a three-day trip to Saudi Arabia, a visit undertaken at the request of the UK Government. While the trip was expected to focus on diplomacy and bilateral cooperation, attention has instead turned inward, with questions resurfacing about how the monarchy manages the legacy of Prince Andrew as William positions himself as a future king.
Andrew's legal troubles have long shaped that backdrop. In 2022, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was 17 after being trafficked by Epstein. Andrew has denied wrongdoing and made no admission of liability. The settlement amount was not disclosed, though media reports at the time speculated figures as high as £12 million.
The renewed document release has also revived attention on Andrew's former wife, Sarah Ferguson. Recently circulated emails show Ferguson corresponding with Epstein in 2010, including one message in which she wrote: "I am at your service. Just marry me." While the BBC has reported that the emails do not in themselves imply criminal conduct, their tone has drawn criticism as emblematic of the access Epstein retained within elite social circles even after his 2008 conviction.
