Additional Coverage:
- ‘He was never a prince’: Virginia Giuffre’s family speaks out as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested in the UK (the-independent.com)
Virginia Giuffre’s Family Reacts to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s Arrest, Declaring “He Was Never a Prince”
London, UK – The family of Virginia Giuffre, a prominent accuser in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, has voiced their strong approval following the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in the United Kingdom. While the arrest on Thursday was “on suspicion of misconduct in public office” related to his former role as a trade envoy and not directly tied to sexual abuse allegations, Giuffre’s family released a poignant statement.
“At last, today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty,” Giuffre’s siblings stated, adding, “On behalf of our sister, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, we extend our gratitude to the U.K.’s Thames Valley Police for their investigation and the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”
Mountbatten-Windsor remains in police custody. His arrest comes amidst renewed scrutiny of his connections to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, particularly after the recent release of materials from the “Epstein files.”
The former royal has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has resisted calls to testify in the U.S. regarding his knowledge of Epstein’s extensive crimes. Last November, the U.S. Congress formally sought an interview with him, with the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform citing “financial records containing notations such as ‘massage for Andrew’ that raise serious questions.”
The committee’s letter to Mountbatten-Windsor also referenced “well-documented allegations” involving him and Giuffre, as well as a 2011 email exchange where he reportedly told Epstein, “we are in this together.” This, the committee stated, “further confirms our suspicion that you may have valuable information about the crimes committed by Mr. Epstein and his co-conspirators.”
Earlier this week, David Boies, a lawyer for Giuffre, suggested that Mountbatten-Windsor should be granted “safe passage” to the U.S. to testify about Epstein. Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Boies argued that Mountbatten-Windsor has an “obligation” to disclose what he knows and should be able to do so without fear of arrest. Hillary Clinton also weighed in, stating that anyone asked to testify on Epstein, including the former prince, should appear before a congressional committee.
Boies reiterated, “He has an obligation to tell what he knows. Now, I also think that if he’s afraid of being arrested in the United States, we ought to give him safe passage to come to the United States to testify, because we don’t want there to be any excuse for him not coming and telling what he knows.”
In January, images purportedly showing Mountbatten-Windsor with an unidentified woman were among three million Epstein documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer subsequently called for Mountbatten-Windsor to be prepared to testify before Congress, suggesting that continued refusal would be a disservice to victims. Starmer advocated for a “victim-centered” approach to the Epstein case, emphasizing that “anybody who’s got information should be prepared to share that information in whatever form they’re asked to do that.”