UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said Prince Andrew should testify before the US Congress over his links to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Following the release of newly disclosed documents, Starmer emphasized the importance of full cooperation.
Speaking during an official visit to Japan, he said people with relevant information must be willing to share it. Moreover, he stressed that Epstein’s victims should remain the top priority.
Starmer added that a victim-centered approach requires transparency and accountability. However, he noted that whether Andrew should apologize is a personal matter for him.
Prince Andrew, formerly Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, appears repeatedly in the latest batch of Epstein-related files. The US Department of Justice released these documents on Friday.
The records include emails, photographs, and correspondence that have renewed scrutiny of Andrew’s past relationship with Epstein. In particular, the documents show that Andrew invited Epstein to Buckingham Palace in 2010, two years after US authorities convicted him of soliciting underage girls.
In addition, other materials indicate continued contact between the two men, including discussions about social meetings.
Earlier, US lawmaker Suhas Subramanyam asked Andrew to give testimony for a congressional investigation. He argued that Andrew had avoided earlier attempts to cooperate and that testimony could help clarify what he knew.
Andrew has claimed he travelled to the United States in 2010 to formally end his friendship with Epstein. Yet, the newly released emails show that Andrew arranged social engagements during that trip. In 2022, Andrew reached a reported £12 million settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who claimed Epstein had trafficked her and forced her into sexual encounters with him. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing and made the payment without accepting liability.
The scandal ultimately resulted in him losing his royal titles and patronages. Consequently, he has since withdrawn from public life.
Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Meanwhile, his former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving a 20-year prison sentence in the United States.
The release of the latest files has renewed calls for accountability. Furthermore, Starmer’s remarks have added political pressure for those linked to Epstein to cooperate fully with ongoing investigations.
