King Charles is ready to support any police investigation into his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windor, Buckingham Palace says.
It comes after Thames Valley Police confirmed it was assessing information provided to them that former prince Andrew had passed late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein confidential reports while the former royal was a British trade envoy more than a decade ago.
"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," a statement from the palace read.
"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.
"As was previously stated, Their Majesties' thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse."
Last week, police said they were reviewing a new allegation against Andrew, triggered by the latest files, involving a woman being taken to an address in Windsor near London, where he has lived on the royal estate.
The statement from Buckingham Palace comes hours after Prince William and Princess Kate said they were "deeply concerned" by the revelations.
"I can confirm The Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims," a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said on Monday.
The statement was the first public comment from the heir to the throne and his wife on the scandal since the latest release of Epstein files more than a week ago.
The statements follow a renewed furore over Andrew's close links to Epstein, who took his own life in a New York jail cell in 2019, with the king's brother under pressure to explain them further.
Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre claimed in her posthumous memoir that she was trafficked to have sex with the disgraced former royal three times, including twice when she was 17.
He has repeatedly denied those claims but settled a lawsuit with Ms Giuffre in 2022.
She died by suicide in Western Australia in 2025.
King Charles III stripped his brother of his royal titles and honours late last year after Ms Giuffre's claims were published.
Last week, it emerged that a second alleged Epstein victim has claimed through her lawyer that the late US financier had sent her to Britain in 2010 to have sex with Andrew.
The ex-prince, who has strenuously denied any wrongdoing, was ousted from his Windsor mansion home, just west of London, earlier than planned last week in the wake of the latest revelations.
The files released in the US included a lawyer's letter alleging that Andrew and Epstein pressured a woman hired as an exotic dancer for sex as part of a threesome in 2006.
They also contained embarrassing photos of Andrew kneeling over a clothed woman lying on the ground, and emails inviting Epstein to Buckingham Palace to talk in "private".
UK media, including the BBC, reported that Andrew passed confidential reports to Epstein while he held the position of the UK's special representative for international trade and investment.
Trade envoys are usually barred from sharing sensitive or commercial documents under confidentiality rules
ABC/Wires
