Behind palace walls, the battle lines have been drawn and harsh words have been spoken as the relentless drip-feed of leaked emails from late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein continues to damage the royal family’s reputation. With new details emerging about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s entanglement with the convicted serial rapist and sex trafficker, British police are now reviewing the correspondence with a view to launching a criminal investigation – and many, including the Prince of Wales, are questioning how much the King knew about all this.
In an unexpected move, Charles, 77, has confirmed Buckingham Palace “stands ready” to support any police inquiry into his 65-year-old brother.
A palace spokesperson says, “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.”
Prince Edward breaks the silence on the scandal
Earlier, in another extraordinary moment, Prince Edward, 61, became the first royal to speak publicly about the scandal, saying, “It’s really important to remember the victims.”
But it’s too little, too late for Prince William, 43, who has also released a joint statement with the Princess of Wales, 44, saying they are “deeply concerned” about the Epstein revelations and “remain focused on the victims”.
The prince and his aides are reportedly acutely aware of the scrutiny facing the speed and transparency of The Firm’s response to the scandal.
William is furious over the family crisis
“William is furious his father has let the Andrew scandal blow up into a crisis,” a source tells Woman’s Day.
“He thinks the soft-touch approach has put the royal family under threat.”
And it seems William’s concerns are valid, with the scandal following his official visit to Saudi Arabia, where he was twice asked if his family had done enough when it comes to Andrew and Epstein’s friendship.
The King also continues to be heckled everywhere he goes in the UK and as we went to press, there were suggestions the scandal could bring down British PM Sir Keir Starmer, whose former US ambassador Peter Mandelson has links to Epstein – leading to rumours a police case could also destroy the monarchy.
Royal insider reveals hasty exit details
An urgent discussion between William and Charles was reportedly the catalyst for swiftly forcing Andrew out of Royal Lodge under the cover of darkness. After the former prince went into exile, a royal insider reported, “Andrew is having difficulty acknowledging reality and it was increasingly causing concern at the palace – both as a sign of his mental state and because it wouldn’t play well with the public him still enjoying the trappings of royalty.
“It was hastily arranged and done under the radar, leaving Royal Lodge staff to pack up what remains of his belongings.”
Is Kate implicated?!
Just days after she was spotted skiing in the French Alps, Kate was thrust inadvertently into the conversation surrounding the Epstein files, with the princess seemingly mentioned in a December 2010 email Andrew sent to his late friend with the subject line “Troublesome One”.
The former prince wrote, “Kate has agreed to a deal in London. It’s down to you to bring J over the line. God, it’s cold and dank here! Wish I was still a pet in your family!”
Without any further context to the email, it’s unclear who Andrew was referring to, but his reference to “Kate” immediately led to unfounded speculation about whether it was the then-Kate Middleton.
Kate is exhausted by conspiracy theories
Being mentioned or pictured in the Epstein files does not indicate wrongdoing, but we’re told the already-fragile princess “can’t deal” with much more of the “conspiracy talk” and wants everyone to know “it’s all lies”.
An insider tells us, “She has nothing to hide and has no intention of even addressing such ridiculous claims, but there’s no doubt it’s wearing her down.”
Carrying the weight behind the scenes
The source adds that Kate has been “carrying a lot of the load behind the scenes” while William deals with the palace’s “PR nightmare”.
Our insider continues, “She is exhausted. It’s a multitude of things, from her health to her kids and now to trolls linking her to Andrew’s horror show. She wasn’t even married to William when that email was sent, so it’s obscene to try to think she’s the ‘Kate’ Andrew’s talking about. “It’s putting a lot of strain on Kate and William’s marriage as they try to navigate this nightmare. Kate’s still very worried about Beatrice and Eugenie, but William is looking at the bigger picture and what the scandal could mean for the monarchy.”
“Though William does sympathise with his cousins, he cannot have them in a public-facing position while the allegations continue to unfold. Kate’s having to calm him down, but who’s calming her down? There’s only so much she can take.”
