Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, "broke their silence" on the Jeffrey Epstein scandal for the first time on February 9, 2026.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson issued the statement on their behalf amid renewed scrutiny of former Prince Andrew's ties to the late sex offender.
The spokesperson said, "I can confirm the Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims."
This is the couple's first public comment on the matter. The statement came as Prince William began a three-day trip to Saudi Arabia. It followed the U.S. Department of Justice's release of millions of pages of Epstein-related documents in late January 2026 under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law on November 19, 2025.
The latest files have renewed attention on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, who appears multiple times in the documents. Allegations include claims that he shared confidential U.K. trade reports with Epstein during trips to Singapore, China, Hong Kong, and Vietnam in 2010 and 2011 while serving as a trade envoy. Thames Valley Police confirmed they are assessing information related to those claims. Buckingham Palace stated that King Charles III will support police if contacted about the allegations against his brother.
No new documents indicate direct involvement by Prince William or Kate Middleton in the Epstein case.
The Epstein scandal has shadowed the royal family since Andrew's association with Epstein surfaced years ago. Andrew settled a civil lawsuit with accuser Virginia Giuffre in 2022 and lost his military titles and public royal duties in 2020. He has denied wrongdoing.
See our articles on the Royal Family's "Project THAW."