King Charles has released a statement claiming he stands ready to help police investigations into his younger brother over the Epstein scandal.
Just hours after Charles III was heckled for the second time in days over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘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.
‘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.’
A member of the public shouted at the King this morning: ‘How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?’
The monarch, 77, was greeting and chatting to royal fans at the train station in Clitheroe, Lancashire when the heckler yelled out from just metres away.
Most of the crowd turned around and booed, with some telling the man to ‘shup up’.
It came after the Prince and Princess of Wales issued an ‘unprecedented’ statement saying they were ‘deeply concerned’ by the information published in the Epstein Files.
Kensington Palace break their silence with Prince William en route to Saudi Arabia for the start of a three-day tour of the Middle East country.
Ahead of the visit, a spokesperson for the couple said: ‘I can confirm the Prince and Princess of Wales have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations.
‘Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.’
The statement comes after the Epstein Files appeared to show the ex-Prince shared confidential reports with the paedophile financier in his role as UK trade envoy.
Duncan Larcombe, a leading expert on the Royal Family, said the Kensington Palace intervention is ‘unprecedented’.
He told Metro: ‘What it tells us is William is furious with his uncle. He has clearly had enough of it.
‘That is a clear and public dig at his uncle. It is very rare for a Royal to turn on a Royal.’
The expert and former journalist said William and Kate are ‘showing they are aware that Andrew’s behaviour is threatening the monarchy itself.’
Mr Larcombe added: ‘William is about to do this big set-piece visit to Saudi Arabia.
‘This is an attempt to stop him being asked lots of questions about his uncle when he is trying to promote trade… It won’t work. It will only mean the complete visit is overshadowed.’
Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt told the shortly before the King’s statement: ‘The royals are rattled and rightly so, with the statement from William and Kate failing because it contains warm words, but no hard action.
‘It’s now time for King Charles to make clear publicly that he believes Andrew should testify before US lawmakers and that legislation needs to be passed to remove his brother as eighth in line to the throne.
‘If he doesn’t, Charles runs the risk of his reign being remembered as one where the British monarchy failed to properly support Epstein’s victims’.
The former Duke of York has always denied any accusations of wrongdoing.
Images released by the Department of Justice in the US also appear to show him crouching over an unidentified woman in what appears to be Epstein’s New York mansion.
A letter released in the Epstein files also claimed that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor asked an exotic dancer for a threesome.
