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TRANSCRIPT
Fresh disclosures from the U-S Department of Justice are fuelling new calls for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to answer questions about his links to the late disgraced financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, including whether he should testify before a US congressional committee.
Royal commentator Afua Hagan says the latest material deepens concerns about the scale of that relationship.
"It's not the first time Andrew has appeared in the files, and trust me, it's not the last either. This is not going to be the last time. I think what the new revelations tell us is the depth and breadth of the relationship that Andrew had with Jeffrey Epstein. It's very clear that Epstein was very much involved and embraced into the family, the family of Sarah and Andrew and their two daughters, you know. He was literally embraced by Andrew and by Sarah Ferguson as well. So these files show us the depth of their relationship. We've had more pictures, you know, the picture of Andrew sort of over a young girl on the floor, very, very sinister."
Andrew has long denied wrongdoing.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Andrew should testify, after the release included emails suggesting contact continued for more than two years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
Ms Hagan says appearing before the U-S Congress would test Andrew’s claim of innocence.
"I mean, Andrew has long maintained that he denies all the allegations against him. Therefore, talking to prosecutors in the United States or speaking to the U-S Congress should not be a problem for him. I don't think we're going to see a point where Andrew is extradited, not yet, because there's no criminal charges laid against him. No criminal charges have been brought to him by the U-S government. And it's not until we have any criminal charges that an extradition can happen. So I don't think we'll see that at the moment, but I think it definitely is in Andrew Mountbatten Windsor's best interest, if he is as innocent as he says he is, to appear before U-S Congress."
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie says the latest disclosures should prompt formal scrutiny by British authorities and renewed questions for the Palace.
"There is a very strong case for him to be investigated by the Metropolitan Police for the sex trafficking and by the National Crime Agency for the misconduct in public office. Whether that will happen, I just don't know. I'm told the FBI passed a file to the Met in 2022, but we just don't know what they did with that file of evidence. I do think that the king needs to come clean about what the palace knew, when, what they did about it, then what they're going to do about it now. I do think this is going to lead to greater calls for accountability and transparency."
New Scotland Yard says it is reviewing the latest US material for any further action under UK law.
In Westminster, former Labour heavyweight Peter Mandelson is under pressure to quit the House of Lords after documents suggested Epstein transferred $75,000 to accounts linked to him.
Mandelson says he does not recall receiving the money, has left the Labour Party, and is being urged by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to also give up his lifetime seat in parliament.
Meantime in Norway, Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, is facing dozens of charges including rape, domestic violence and drug offences. His lawyers say he denies the most serious allegations.
The case is unfolding alongside renewed scrutiny of Mette-Marit’s past contact with Epstein. The royal household confirms she met him in the early 2010s and borrowed a property in Florida in 2013, and has since apologised.
A student outside the palace, Gustav Onarheim, says the overlap of stories has been hard to absorb.
"I like the King but with Høiby and the new released Epstein files and Mette-Marit (Crown Princess of Norway) coming up, it's so much to think about it. I hope it's, or I feel like it should get to an end. I'm really looking forward to get the results in court."
Lawyer Paal Behrens believes the impact on the monarchy could last.
"I feel now that a case like this, a very serious criminal case and other, I think, parts of the Royal family, that's not very good (for them), it will affect Royal family in time, I'm quite sure about that."
The trial is scheduled to run until mid-March, with Hoiby expected to testify this week.
And in the United States, President Donald Trump has hit back at comedian and talk show host Trevor Noah over a joke linking him to Jeffrey Epstein at the 2026 Grammys, using a White House appearance to dismiss both the claim and the awards ceremony.
"He said I spent time on Jeffrey Epstein’s island. I didn’t. He’s a lightweight. I thought he was terrible at the Grammys, the whole show was unwatchable. Not as bad as Jimmy Kimmel, but close."
The comments come after the Epstein files referenced Mr Trump and other public figures.
The president has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, saying many of the mentions reflect media reports rather than new allegations.
And there is another US President named in the Epstein files - Bill Clinton, as is his wife, former First Lady and former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.
The Republican chair of a House committee has rejected the former President's offer to give a transcribed interview about his friendship with Epstein, bringing a potential contempt of Congress vote against both Clintons closer.
Mr Clinton, who had a documented association with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s, has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Through a spokesperson, Hillary Clinton stated she cannot recall ever speaking to Epstein.
The full House is expected to consider criminal contempt charges this week, which could carry fines or imprisonment if approved.
