Charles Won’t Meet Epstein Survivors on US Trip — But One Move Has Experts Convinced He May One Day
A royal expert has noted why the specific wording of a Palace refusal suggests King Charles hasn't closed the door for good.
A meeting between King Charles and Jeffrey Epstein’s survivors has been ruled out for his upcoming US state visit — though Palace insiders have pointedly declined to rule out a future encounter. This latest development comes after a high-stakes intervention by US Congressman Ro Khanna, who used a formal open letter requesting the monarch meet those abused by the disgraced financier and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. While Buckingham Palace has remained officially silent, royal editor Rebecca English notes that the monarchy feels its hands are tied by the ‘ongoing UK police investigations’ into matters linked to the Epstein network.
Writing for the Daily Mail, English suggests that the Palace is prioritizing the integrity of the judicial process, ensuring that the King’s actions do not interfere with ongoing legal matters. While Charles has enormous sympathy for the victims, sources as quoted by English indicate that the monarch and Queen Camilla “will not be able to” meet survivors next month, fearing such a meeting “could impact on, or in any way prejudice, the relevant UK Forces' work,” specifically the Thames Valley Police investigation that saw his disgraced brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on February 19 — also his 66th birthday.
While the immediate answer is ‘no’, English highlights a crucial linguistic distinction in the source’s statement. She notes, “The choice of the phrase 'will not be able to', sources have indicated, is distinct from 'will not', indicating that the monarch has not ruled out a meeting in the future.” Even so, for Congressman Khanna — who spearheaded the Epstein Files Transparency Act — the matter is of global accountability. In his letter, Khanna noted the ‘solemnity’ of the King’s visit to celebrate 250 years of American independence, but urged him to acknowledge the ‘serious questions’ regarding conduct and access that have emerged in the wake of the latest three million disclosures.
“I respectfully ask that you privately meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's abuse, so they may speak to you directly about the ways powerful individuals and institutions failed them,” Khanna wrote, highlighting, “Survivors want this meeting.” He pointedly also reminded the King that previous requests for the former Duke to testify in the US over his ties to Epstein have been ‘roundly ignored.’ Touching upon the ‘renewed scrutiny’ of Mountbatten-Windsor — the Congressman’s plea reminded the sovereign that the scandal is “not solely an American matter,” citing the late financier’s significant ties to the UK through Maxwell and various British public figures, including Mountbatten-Windsor.
While King Charles is walking a tightrope between legal protocol and personal compassion, English notes that his empathy for the survivors remains a cornerstone of his private stance. Insiders stressed to the royal editor that “His Majesty's previous position regarding the survivors has been well-noted,” as has Queen Camilla’s “long-standing support for all victims of sexual violence and domestic abuse.”
Despite the chatter, the focus remains on the ‘fair and proper’ investigation King Charles has previously called for. While a meeting with Epstein survivors isn’t on the schedule for next month, it appears the monarch may be positioning himself to eventually become the first British sovereign to meet face-to-face with the victims once the active criminal probe into his brother no longer bars the way.
