Buckingham Palace prepared to ‘support’ any police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

Buckingham Palace said on Monday it is ready to support any police investigation into King Charles’s younger brother after emails suggested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor might have shared confidential British trade documents with Jeffrey Epstein.

Mountbatten-Windsor, ​already cast out of the royal inner circle over his close relationship with Epstein, has faced fresh scrutiny since the recent publication of millions of new documents relating to the late convicted U.S. sex offender.

“The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct,” a palace spokesperson said.

In the ​latest files released in the U.S., emails suggest he shared official British trade documents with Epstein in 2010, after Epstein’s conviction for child sex crimes, leaking information from his then-role as an official government envoy.

The documents appear to ⁠show that Mountbatten-Windsor forwarded Epstein reports about Vietnam, Singapore and other places, which he had been sent in relation ‍to an official trip.

Trade envoys are ⁠usually barred from sharing sensitive or commercial documents. The 65-year-old second son ​of the late Queen has always denied any wrongdoing and has not responded to requests for comment since the latest release of Epstein files.

Thames Valley Police said the issue had been reported to them and that they were assessing whether to formally investigate.

The palace added, “While the specific claims in question are for Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames ⁠Valley Police, we stand ready to support them as you would expect.

“As was previously stated, their majesties’ thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse.”

The King’s son Prince William and his wife, Catherine, had said on Monday they were deeply concerned by the continuing Epstein revelations, in another pointed message from the royal family.

“Their thoughts remain focused on the victims,” their spokesperson told reporters ahead of the prince’s arrival on a high-profile trip to Saudi Arabia.

Mountbatten-Windsor was forced to quit all official royal duties in 2019 over his ties with Epstein and, in October, Charles removed his title of prince. Last week, he was forced to move out of his royal mansion.

In 2022, he settled a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre that accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager, through her association with Epstein. Giuffre died by suicide last April.

Mountbatten-Windsor, 65, has always denied any wrongdoing and has not responded to requests for comment since the latest release of Epstein files.

While the Royal Family has attempted to distance itself from Mountbatten-Windsor, he remains a thorn in their side.

“Charles, how long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?” a man shouted recently from the crowd as the King arrived in Clitheroe, northern England, the second time he had been heckled in a week.

Last week, police said they were reviewing a new allegation against Mountbatten-Windsor, triggered by the latest files, involving a woman being taken to an address in Windsor near London, where he has lived on the royal estate.

‘Too many mistakes’

Over the last 10 days, revelations from the files have also engulfed Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in what is widely viewed as the biggest crisis of his premiership, for having appointed Peter Mandelson, an acquaintance of Epstein, as ambassador to the U.S.

Mandelson also appears to have shared sensitive government files from 2009 and 2010 with Epstein, and police are investigating claims of misconduct in public office.

Starmer fired Mandelson last September after emails were published showing that he maintained a friendship with Epstein after the financier’s 2008 conviction for sex offences involving a minor. Critics say Starmer should have known better than to appoint Mandelson, 72, a contentious figure whose career has been studded with scandals over money or ethics.

Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch of the Conservative Party said Starmer “has made bad decision after bad decision” and “his position now is untenable.”

The leader of the Labour Party in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, called on Starmer to resign on Monday. He is the most senior Labour figure to call for Starmer to quit.

‘We’re in this together’

Despite Sarwar’s intervention, Starmer ​later received messages of support from his top ministers and some potential leadership rivals, and a positive reception at a meeting of Labour Party lawmakers suggested there would be no imminent move to oust him.

“After having fought so hard for the chance to change our country, I’m not prepared to walk away from ⁠my mandate and my responsibility to my country, or to plunge us into chaos, as others have done,” Starmer told the meeting, saying his focus was ‍preventing the populist Reform Party, headed by veteran Brexit ⁠supporter Nigel Farage, from taking power.

“That is my fight, that is all of our fight, ​and we’re in this together.”

Starmer apologized last week for “having believed Mandelson’s lies,” and his chief of staff and communications director have taken the fall, each resigning from their position since Sunday.

A string of senior cabinet colleagues spoke up to defend Starmer on social media, including Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Treasury chief Rachel Reeves.

Longtime Labour MP Angela Rayner, considered a potential leadership candidate were Starmer forced to step aside, also gave him “her full support.”

The prime minister has promised to release documentation related to Mandelson’s appointment, which the government says will show that Mandelson misled officials about his ties to Epstein.

The publication of the documents could be weeks away, as they must be vetted on national security grounds and for potential conflicts with a police investigation.