This is the moment Queen Camilla ignored questions over whether she had a message for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims – and if the Royal Family will assist the investigation into the paedophile.
The Queen, who is Patron of the National Literacy Trust, was visiting Christ Church Primary School in Camden, north London, to open its library this morning when she was quizzed by reporters.
It comes as the King’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, faces fresh scrutiny over his ties to Epstein after the latest files relating to the paedophile financier were released by the US Department of Justice on Friday.
The Queen was seen smiling as she stepped out of the car and said ‘Morning’ before she faced questions about Epstein.
As she walked into the library, a reporter asked her: ‘Good morning, Your Majesty. Will the Royal Family help the Epstein investigation? Do you have a message for Epstein’s victims, Your Majesty?’
Queen Camilla did not respond to the questions, instead walking straight into the primary school.
Yesterday, Prince Edward – Andrew and Charles’s brother – became the first royal to break rank and comment on the latest Epstein files, saying it is ‘really important to remember the victims’.
Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, the Duke of Edinburgh, 61, was asked about the latest revelations relating to the paedophile. He replied: ‘Well, with the best will in the world, I’m not sure this is the audience that is probably the least bit interested in that.
‘They all came here to listen to education, solving the future, but no, I think it’s all really important always to remember the victims and who are the victims in all this? A lot of victims in this.’
Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt has called for the media to follow suit and hold senior royals to account.
Sharing the video of Camilla ignoring questions, he wrote: ‘The British media must continue to do the right thing – despite the letters of outrage they may well receive from Buckingham Palace – and try and hold senior royals to account over Andrew and Epstein. Next up – Prince William in Saudi Arabia, next week.’
William will carry out his first official visit to Saudi Arabia next week at the request of the UK Government.
Also on Wednesday, protesters from the anti-monarchy group Republic stuck crime tape across the railings of Buckingham Palace and unfurled a banner which said: ‘Charles, what are you hiding?’
As well as disturbing photos of Andrew emerging in the three million files released on Friday, a second Epstein victim has claimed she was sent to the UK to have sex with Andrew in 2010.
Thames Valley Police said on Tuesday it is ‘aware of reports’ of a woman said to have been ‘taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes’.
They added: ‘We take any reports of sexual crimes extremely seriously and encourage anyone with information to come forward.
‘At this time, these allegations have not been reported to Thames Valley Police by either the lawyer or their client.’
The second woman to accuse the ex-Duke of sexual assault is being represented by Brad Edwards from the US law firm Edwards Henderson.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘Our client has suffered enough. As everyone knows, Andrew’s power and access flowed directly from his status in the Royal Family, and that power enabled the conduct at issue.
‘The time has come for the monarchy to acknowledge the harm caused and to ensure any victims are fairly treated. This is about responsibility and repair – not avoidance.’
US Vice President JD Vance told the Daily Mail on Tuesday that he would back efforts to summon Andrew to testify before US lawmakers over his friendship with Epstein. He was speaking after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer suggested the same.
Vance said: ‘I saw Keir Starmer said something about this’, adding: ‘I’m certainly open to it.’
This is the second woman to allege that she was sent to the UK by Epstein to have sex with Andrew. Virginia Giuffre, who alleged that she was brought to London to have sex with the former Prince in 2001 when she was 17, was the first.
Ms Giuffre, who took her own life last April, said she was forced to have sex with Andrew twice more in 2001 and 2002 – once in New York and again on Epstein’s private Caribbean island. Andrew has always denied Ms Giuffre’s claims.
Andrew has always strongly denied any wrongdoing. Ms Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit against Andrew in 2021 and the case was settled for an estimated £12million the following year.
The revelations come after images appearing to show Andrew crouched on all fours over a woman were published in the Epstein files. He is staring directly at the camera in one picture, while in another he has placed his left hand on the female’s stomach.
Andrew has now been dramatically ordered out of his Royal Lodge home after King Charles got sick of seeing photos of him horse riding around Windsor while the Epstein crisis exploded.
The King’s younger brother had been due to move to temporary accommodation on the Sandringham estate on Tuesday next week – but the plan was rushed forward after extraordinary new revelations emerged about the former Prince.
New files also show that Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, sent flirtatious emails to Epstein, appearing to suggest that he marry her while discussing someone ‘single’ with ‘a great body’ that the financier could employ.
Fergie told the sex offender he should marry her on a number of occasions in the months after he left jail following a 13-month sentence for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14.
In one email from September 17, 2009, she wrote about one woman: ‘You can marry her too. She is single and [sic] a great body’. She added: ‘Ok well marry me and then we will employ her’.
The Mail revealed this week that Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are ‘aghast’ at their mother’s embarrassing tranche of emails to Jeffrey Epstein.
Sources close to the sisters say they are also ‘appalled’ and ’embarrassed’ about the new photos of their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor crouching over a mystery woman lying on the floor.
Sarah’s Trust, a charity of the Duchess’, said this week it will close down after ‘some months’ of discussion; Fergie’s links to Epstein have also led to several other charities dropping her as a patron.
Her most recent children’s book was also axed by publisher New Frontier after she had called Epstein a ‘supreme friend’ in a private email some weeks after she had publicly disavowed him.
The latest Epstein files have already led to the downfall of Peter Mandelson, who is stepping down from the House of Lords amid allegations he had passed market-sensitive information to Epstein while a serving Cabinet minister under Gordon Brown.
Lord Mandelson, who also appeared to be pictured in Epstein’s flat in his underpants in a new image, has denied the huge tranche of evidence released by the US government on Friday shows he broke the law.
The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal investigation into the claims.
At Prime Minister’s Questions today, Sir Keir Starmer said Lord Mandelson – nicknamed the ‘Prince of Darkness’ – had ‘betrayed’ his country and would be stripped of his honorific title.Sir Keir has pledged to publish the details of how Mandelson was vetted ahead of his appointment as US ambassador – but has said that some information will be withheld for national security reasons, or to avoid compromising the Met’s investigation.
