In the lead-up to Prince William’s pivotal visit to Saudi Arabia, he and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate, have addressed the swirling controversy surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein scandal that has cast a shadow over the Royal Family. A statement from Kensington Palace conveyed their stance: “I can confirm The Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”

However, if the couple believes this carefully crafted message will help them sidestep the unfortunate association with Prince Andrew’s long-standing ties to Epstein—a notorious sex trafficker and convicted pedophile—they might be underestimating the situation’s gravity. The statement, notably not directly from William and Kate, omits any reference to Andrew, even as distressing details continue to surface from Epstein’s correspondences released by the US Department of Justice.

One particularly unsettling image shows Andrew in Epstein’s New York mansion, posing provocatively on all fours over an unidentified young woman, his eyes caught in the camera’s flash. This image, alongside other disclosures, has fueled public and media scrutiny.

In contrast, King Charles has taken a firmer stance. He recently articulated his official position through a palace representative, stating: “The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light regarding Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct.” The King has actively pursued legal avenues to disassociate his brother, Prince Andrew, from royal privileges and titles.

These efforts underscore a distinct approach within the Royal Family to address the scandal, highlighting varying degrees of engagement and response to the ongoing revelations.

To his credit, the King has strained every sinew and legal fibre to banish his brother from Royal Lodge and strip him of all his titles.

Putting it plainly, if William and Kate value their own survival, they must act in the same spirit – calling Andrew out and distancing themselves from him forever, rather than releasing a wishy-washy statement that says nothing.

If William and Kate value their own survival, they must act in the same spirit – calling Andrew out and distancing themselves from him forever, rather than releasing a wishy-washy statement that says nothing, writes Amanda Platell

The photograph of Andrew taken in Epstein’s New York mansion, his eyes gleaming red as he lasciviously poses on all fours over a helpless young woman whose identity has been redacted, is particularly disturbing, writes Amanda Platell

Are they really empathising with the young women allegedly (a word I am required to use) procured for Andrew by Epstein, or are they just trying to get ahead of the headlines?

Of course, the most prominent of Andrew’s alleged victims is the late Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was forced to have sex with him aged just 17 in the London home of Epstein’s madam Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as on two other occasions in New York and one on Epstein’s private island. Virginia wrote in her book Nobody’s Girl – released after her untimely death last year – that she believed Andrew felt ‘entitled’ to have sex with her whenever he wanted because he was a Prince of the British realm.

Since then, thanks to the newly released documents and emails between Andrew and Epstein, other alleged victims have emerged. What about the ‘hot’ young Russian woman Epstein supposedly procured for him, or the adolescent girls reportedly hired to attend naked pool parties with Andrew?

The late, disgraced Jeffrey Epstein

True, the Cambridges aren’t to blame – it was our beloved late Queen who turned a blind eye to her ‘favourite’ son’s monstrous behaviour. Sadly, it will remain a stain on her otherwise unblemished and magnificent reign that, if she knew about them, she did not clamp down on her son’s sexual proclivities.

Andrew should have faced the music when Virginia first made her accusations against him in 2021 in a US lawsuit alleging sexual assault. He should have faced his day in court. If he was innocent and could prove it, why did our late Queen protect him by seemingly contributing £12million to help him silence his accuser?

Andrew’s denials that he ever met Virginia – and his ludicrous claim that he was at Pizza Express in Woking with his daughter the night he was supposedly pictured with her – now ring hollow after emails have emerged from Ghislaine, now serving 20 years in prison, appearing to confirm that the photograph of them taken in the mews house is real.

If the Prince and Princess of Wales want any place of influence in the modern #MeToo world, they must stand up now and condemn Andrew and offer real solace to his victims.

For the sad fact is, we now have a monarchy more challenged than ever before. A beloved institution, which only 40 years ago had an 80 per cent popularity rating, is now supported by just 51 per cent of Brits.

The monarchy can hardly rely on an ageing Queen Camilla, who has a YouGov popularity rating barely above that of the exiled Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Nor will its popularity swell with King Charles speaking, as he did in his recent Netflix documentary, about how we should all live in ‘harmony’. Pass the sitar-strumming Kumbaya, My Lord!

The royals are clearly not reading the room. They are facing a very real existential crisis – but they just don’t seem to get it.

William and Kate have a real chance to carve out a path for a modern monarchy. But in a world of social media storms in which Generation Z take a much dimmer view of the Royal Family, nothing other than their complete and unequivocal condemnation of Andrew’s actions will do.