Mountbatten-Windsor maintained his friendship with Epstein long after the financier’s 2008 guilty plea on a charge of soliciting sex from a minor. The implications for the royal family may be just as serious. “I think we have to separate the notion of a family from the institution of the monarchy,” royal commentator Jonathan Dimbleby told the BBC. William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales – who have reportedly been among the family members most critical of Andrew – remain highly popular. They did not issue a separate statement yesterday, but a palace official said they supported the king’s statement.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 20, 2026 08:39 UTC