Edward says ‘remember the victims’ in first comments since Epstein document dump

The Duke of Edinburgh has said it is important to “remember the victims” in the first public comments by a senior royal since millions more pages of documents related to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein were released.

Edward, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s brother, made the comments after being asked how he was “coping” since the US Department of Justice’s document dump on Friday.

The duke’s disgraced brother features a number of times in the documents, including images apparently showing him crouch over an unidentified woman in what appears to be Epstein’s New York mansion.

During the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday, Edward responded to the question by a CNN journalist by saying: “Well, with the best will in the world, I’m not sure this is the audience that is 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.”

Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson appear in a number of email exchanges with Epstein in the latest document dump, with Andrew appearing to invite him to Buckingham Palace, and Sarah apparently saying: “I am at your service. Just marry me.”

Epstein also appears to introduce Edward’s brother to a woman described by the paedophile as “26, Russian, clevere (sic) beautiful, trustworthy”, while in the same month, Andrew also apparently tells Epstein: “Wish I was still a pet in your family.”

Andrew vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

In 2022, the former duke paid millions of pounds to his main accuser, Virginia Giuffre – a woman he claims never to have met.

He was stripped of his titles by the King last year after the posthumous publication of a book from Ms Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell when she was 17.

Lawyers representing a second accuser have urged Charles to contact them following allegations that their client was sent to the UK for a sexual encounter with Andrew.

Brad Edwards, from the US firm Edwards Henderson, previously told the BBC his client had spent the night with Andrew after being given a tour of Buckingham Palace.