King Charles Believes Andrew Should 'Stand Up' and Testify Before US Congress, Says Friend

As scrutiny surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's scandals refuses to fade, pressure mounts for him to cooperate with the police investigations tied to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. While he has withdrawn from royal life and has since lived in exile, King Charles reportedly believes much more needs to be done for his victims. According to his close confidant, Jonathan Dimbleby, the King feels his disgraced brother should testify before the US Congress and take accountability for his questionable actions.

In an interview with BBC Newsnight, when Dimbleby was asked if the monarch believes Mountbatten-Windsor should testify, he answered, "I can't say with 100 percent certainty, but I strongly believe that he [Charles] would very much like him [Andrew] to stand up and testify." While the King has not publicly responded to some of the photos in the files, Dimbleby claimed Charles was aghast by it behind closed doors. He continued, "It would be astonishing if he [Charles] wasn't concerned, appalled by the allegations, and of course affected in his role as monarch as well, because the headlines are all about this, which, you know, no institution wants that, and he is trying to do and is doing an extraordinary job in his role as head of state."

Additionally, when asked if the monarch felt 'pressure' over the latest revelations, Dimbleby responded, "I think that he will be feeling the pain of this" and be "appalled by the allegations." On February 9, Charles highlighted his 'profound concern' regarding the latest assessment by the Police into Mountbatten-Windsor's misuse of his UK trade envoy role. As per the BBC, a statement from Buckingham Palace read, "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."

In November last year, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also spoke about the ongoing situation between Congress and the former Prince. While he avoided passing a direct judgment on Mountbatten-Windsor's decision not to cooperate, he did allude to what the majority of the public believes. "I've held for a very long time that anybody who has got relevant information in relation to these kinds of cases should give that evidence to those that need it," he told reporters while he was on his way to the G20 summit.

Similarly, a YouGov poll that same month showed that around three-quarters of respondents wanted Mountbatten-Windsor to sit for a formal interview with the police. On the other hand, 9% thought he should refuse, and another 16% remained unsure on the matter. Support for his cooperation was almost identical among men and women, with exactly 75% asking him to testify. The survey came shortly after the former Duke had failed to meet the deadline set by Congress, which had requested him to appear for a transcribed interview.