King Charles is Being Urged to Apologise as Epstein Survivors Say ‘Lip Service' Is Not Enough
Pressure is mounting on King Charles to go beyond mere cooperation, as the fallout from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s association with Jeffrey Epstein has been peeling back layers. While Buckingham Palace has said it will assist police if formally approached, survivors say that response stops short of the accountability now being demanded.
In a recent statement, the Palace confirmed it would cooperate with Thames Valley Police should they seek assistance in relation to Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to the convicted financier. But for women who say they were abused by Epstein, procedural assurances do little to address what they describe as the Royal Family’s deeper institutional failings. They argue the King must now issue a direct apology—not just on behalf of his brother, but for the system that allowed his status to shield him.
It is being argued that while expressions of sympathy have been offered in the past, they amount to little more than carefully managed 'lip service'—words that acknowledge distress without accepting responsibility. The same is reflected in Prince Edward's and the Waleses' statements. Survivors argue that cooperation with law enforcement, while necessary, does not address the moral responsibility they believe rests with the monarchy. They want the King to formally acknowledge the harm caused by the disgraced former prince's association with Epstein and to apologize not only to victims but also to the family of the late Virginia Giuffre, whose allegations have long cast a shadow over the institution.
That pressure has intensified following renewed legal intervention in the United States. Lawyers representing a second woman who alleges Epstein sent her to the UK in 2010 for a sexual encounter with Mountbatten-Windsor at Royal Lodge have now urged the King to engage directly with the claims.
Brad Edwards, of the US law firm Edwards Henderson, said the first step should be listening. “To the King I would say: why not at least listen to the details of the story?” he said.
Palace officials, however, maintain that the King has already demonstrated his position. In a statement, a spokesperson 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,” the spokesperson added.
But for Edwards, such responses fall short of what victims are seeking. “After that, issue a sincere, real apology on behalf of Andrew and any role played by the Royal Family. That world was only possible because Andrew was who he was,” he said. He added that symbolic gestures were no longer sufficient, stressing that survivors wanted “a real apology—not just lip service.”
Survivors themselves have echoed that demand. Epstein survivor Marijke Chartouni told the Daily Mail, “The Royal Family is a carefully managed endeavor, and so claiming ignorance of Andrew's activities is absurd. It's time for the King to address his organization's failings.” Another survivor, Maria Farmer, said it was “shocking the royals have still not issued an apology” to the family of Ms. Giuffre, who died by suicide last year after insisting she had sex with Andrew on three occasions when she was 17.