Prince William and Kate Middleton stated that they are “deeply concerned” regarding the revelations in the most recent batch of materials related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“I can confirm that the Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the ongoing revelations. Their thoughts remain fixed on the victims,” a Kensington Palace spokesperson said on behalf of the royal couple on Monday morning.
This brief statement marks William and Kate’s first official comment since the U.S. Department of Justice released materials related to Epstein on Jan. 30.
William’s uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly known as Prince Andrew), is mentioned throughout the files, sparking renewed questioning about the extent of the royal’s relationship and communications with Epstein.
The newly-released materials include a photograph of Andrew leaning over a woman on the floor. The woman’s face has been redacted, and it’s unclear when or where the photograph was taken.
As of last week, British police are also examining a new allegation that Epstein sent a woman to Andrew at the Royal Lodge residence in Windsor in 2010.
“We are aware of reports about a woman said to have been taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes,” a Thames Valley Police spokesperson told TIME on Wednesday. “We are evaluating the information in accordance with our established procedures.”
TIME has reached out to Andrew’s representatives for comment.
While William and Kate’s statement represents a rare royal acknowledgment of the long-standing scandal surrounding Andrew, they are not the only members of the family to address the situation.
Last week, Andrew’s younger brother Prince Edward was asked about the release of the new files during a summit in Dubai. “It’s really crucial, always, to remember the victims, and who are the victims in all of this? [There are] many victims in this,” he remarked.
Epstein was initially sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 after pleading guilty to state charges—one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from a minor. He was in custody again awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors when he died in 2019.
Andrew’s relationship with Epstein—and his continued communication with the disgraced financier after his initial conviction—has long been under scrutiny.
The royal was famously interviewed on BBC’s in 2019 and questioned about why he visited Epstein in New York in 2010. (The pair were photographed walking through Central Park together during the trip.)
Andrew was himself accused of sexual abuse by one of Epstein’s most prominent victims, the late Virginia Giuffre. He firmly denied the allegations.
In January 2022, Andrew was stripped of his key military titles and royal patronages amid a civil sexual abuse case brought by Giuffre. A month later, he settled with Giuffre for an undisclosed amount.
Andrew was stripped of the remaining titles in late 2025, following additional allegations by that came to light in her .
Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s ex-wife and the mother of his two daughters, has also faced renewed questioning about her own relationship with Epstein after being mentioned in the latest release of Epstein files. (The emails do not indicate any wrongdoing, nor does appearing in the files imply wrongdoing.)
According to the emails, Ferguson communicated with Epstein after his initial conviction.
In September, after a previous release of files revealed she had emailed Epstein and referred to him as a “supreme friend.” A spokesperson for Ferguson pointed to the former duchess’ “” over her association with the financier.
While the revelations from the Epstein files continue to rock the royal family, the British government is also mired in controversy following the latest release of documents.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in a crisis, facing serious questions over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as the U.K. ambassador to the U.S. in early 2025, despite knowing he had a history with Epstein.
in September after it was revealed he had a closer relationship with Epstein than he had previously disclosed. The emails released by the DOJ in January were even more damning, as they appear to show that Mandelson—while serving as Business Secretary under then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown—may have leaked sensitive government information to Epstein in 2009.
Mandelson resigned from the ruling Labour Party last week, saying he wanted to avoid causing it “further embarrassment.” He also stepped down from the House of Lords.
The U.K.’s Metropolitan Police has an investigation into Mandelson “for misconduct in public office offences.” On Friday afternoon, local time, police two properties linked to the former government minister had been searched in relation to the probe. The police said Mandelson has not “been arrested and enquiries are ongoing.”
Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned on Sunday in the wake of the controversy. In a statement, he took responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson to the ambassador role.
“The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country, and trust in politics itself,” said McSweeney. “When asked, I advised the Prime Minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice.”
On Monday morning, Starmer’s executive director of communications, Tim Allan, also stepped down.
However, the departures have done little to quell calls for Starmer to resign.
Kemi Badenoch, leader of the opposition Conservative Party, argued that Starmer “has to take responsibility for his own terrible decisions” and said his position is “.”