‘Remember the victims’: Prince Edward breaks silence over Andrew-Epstein controversy

Prince Edward has become the first member of the royal family to speak out about the most recently released Jeffrey Epstein documents.

The Duke of Edinburgh stated that it is “really important always to remember the victims” when questioned over the bombshell release, which includes fresh revelations about his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his former sister-in-law Sarah Ferguson.

The prince was speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday and was asked how he was “coping” amid the controversy.

He told CNN’s Eleni Giokos: “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. They all came here to listen to education, solving the future.

“But no, I think it’s all really important always to remember the victims, and who are the victims in all this, a lot of victims in all this.”

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The Duke has broken his silence after the US Justice Department on Friday published the third tranche of millions of documents related to the late convicted sex offender, who died in jail in 2019 as he awaited a trial on sex trafficking charges.

The pressure for Edward’s brother to testify is growing after the latest files from the department’s investigation into Epstein revealed further unsavoury details about links between the two men, including images apparently showing him crouch over an unidentified woman in what appears to be Epstein’s New York mansion.

Emails have emerged between the former Duke of York and Epstein from 2010 – two years after the disgraced financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. Epstein served 13 months in jail before being released on probation under house arrest until summer 2010.

Andrew vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

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The former Duke of York and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson appear a number of times in the files, including in a number of email exchanges with Epstein, with Andrew appearing to invite him to Buckingham Palace, and Sarah apparently saying: “I am at your service. Just marry me.”

Epstein also appears to introduce the former prince to a woman described by the paedophile as “26, Russian, clevere (sic) beautiful, trustworthy”, while in the same month, Andrew also apparently tells Epstein: “Wish I was still a pet in your family.”

In 2022, the former duke paid millions of pounds to his main accuser, Virginia Giuffre – a woman he claims never to have met.

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He was stripped of his titles by the King last year after the posthumous publication of a book from Ms Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell when she was 17.

Lawyers representing a second accuser have urged Charles to contact them following allegations that their client was sent to the UK for a sexual encounter with Andrew.

Brad Edwards, from the US firm Edwards Henderson, previously told the BBC his client had spent the night with Andrew after being given a tour of Buckingham Palace.