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Piers Morgan Calls Out William and Kate’s Latest Statement: 'It's a Threat to the Monarchy'

Catherine and Prince William meet with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally; (Inset) Broadcaster Piers Morgan arrives to appear on the Laura Kuenssberg Show (Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Aaron Chown; (Inset) Carl Court)
Catherine and Prince William meet with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally; (Inset) Broadcaster Piers Morgan arrives to appear on the Laura Kuenssberg Show (Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Aaron Chown; (Inset) Carl Court)
Feb. 12 2026, Published 12:32 PM. ET
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Piers Morgan has a sharp rebuke of Prince William and Kate Middleton's first public response to the victims of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Jeffrey Epstein, suggesting their carefully worded statement fails to meet the gravity of the situation. The criticism followed a brief message issued by Kensington Palace on behalf of the Prince and Princess of Wales, in which a spokesperson said, “I can confirm the Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.” It marked the couple’s first direct acknowledgment of the issue amid fresh scrutiny surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and newly released US documents linked to Epstein.



Morgan, however, was unimpressed. Sharing an article about the statement on X, he wrote, “Hmmm. We’re all ‘deeply concerned’—I don’t think a bland two-line statement from a spokesman is going to cut it for the Royals now.” The Epstein scandal is in danger of becoming an existential threat to the monarchy itself if they don’t tackle the Andrew crisis head-on.” His response is among the most direct public criticisms yet of how William and Kate have handled the fallout. Before this, it was only Prince Edward to speak of the issue publicly.

It was not only Morgan with that opinion but also several others online. Many users sided with Morgan’s criticism, arguing that expressions of concern were no longer enough. One wrote, “Exactly. What’s deeply concerned mean? You'd better be. But action needs to be taken because these people still occupy positions of immense power, and have been throughout the years to all those in power.” Another user brutally said, “‘Deeply concerned’ is the diplomatic equivalent of a Band-Aid on a broken leg. The monarchy isn’t just facing a PR crisis it’s staring down a legitimacy crisis. If they don’t act decisively, public trust won’t be asking questions; it’ll be demanding accountability.” A third added, “Protecting Andrew all these years makes them part of the problem. They can’t talk their way out of this mess.”

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend the formal welcome, at the Royal Dais, Datchet Road, for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. (Image Source: Getty Images | ax Mumby/Indigo)
Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, attend the formal welcome, at the Royal Dais, Datchet Road, for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (Image Source: Getty Images | Max Mumby/Indigo)

Others, however, pushed back against the idea that William and Middleton could—or should—go further. One defender asked, “What exactly do you expect them to do that they haven’t done already?? They stripped him of everything of value. Even Mandelson wasn’t sacked by the PM or HoL—he was allowed to resign himself!!” Another pointed to constitutional limits, writing, “The monarchy is under a paramilitary rule and thus William is the King’s liege man, not his boss! This isn’t William’s problem to fix.”

But Piers Morgan was not alone in questioning the response. Royal biographer Andrew Lownie also argued that the statement fell short, particularly in how it addressed the victims at the center of the scandal.

Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Andrew, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, attend Katharine, Duchess of Kent's Requiem Mass service at Westminster Cathedral. (Cover Image: Getty Images | Max Mumby/Indigo)
Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Andrew, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, attend Katharine, Duchess of Kent's Requiem Mass service at Westminster Cathedral (Image Source: Getty Images | Max Mumby/Indigo)

Writing on his Substack, Lownie said the message “simply isn't enough” and criticized what he described as its lack of clarity and accountability. “It doesn't mention Andrew, it doesn't make clear that he should answer questions, and it doesn't say that Buckingham Palace will share everything they know to help the authorities with their enquiries,” he wrote. He went further, suggesting the timing and tone of the statement were driven by image management. “So it hasn’t been released so much because they remain ‘focused on the victims’, but because they remain focused on their own reputations, and want to try and manage the press reaction and narrative of the Prince of Wales’s visit.”

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