A U.S. lawmaker is urging King Charles to meet with survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during the monarch’s upcoming visit to the United States.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are reportedly planning a visit in late April, though this has not been officially confirmed.
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, a co-sponsor of legislation that led to the release of Epstein files by the U.S. Justice Department last year, is requesting that the King privately meet with victims. He seeks to provide them with an opportunity to share their experiences directly regarding “how powerful individuals and institutions failed them.”
“As you are aware, this is not solely an American matter,” Khanna stated in a letter to the King on Monday.
Buckingham Palace has previously stated that the King’s “sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse.”
Khanna wrote in his letter that “Epstein’s network had significant ties to the United Kingdom through Ghislaine Maxwell, through Epstein’s relationships with British public figures, and through the social and political circles in which he operated.”
These connections, according to Khanna, “raise broader questions about how Epstein was able to maintain influence, credibility, and protection across borders for so long.”
The California congressman also noted that members of Congress have sought testimony from the King’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and Peter Mandelson, the UK’s former ambassador to the US, regarding their connections to Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his titles last year due to his association with Epstein, cannot be compelled by subpoena to travel to the U.S. and has not responded to the request.
He has consistently and vehemently denied any wrongdoing in his associations with Epstein.
If the King’s U.S. trip proceeds as expected, he and Queen Camilla are anticipated to visit Washington, D.C., where they will meet with President Donald Trump, and, according to U.S. media reports, address Congress.
The visit would precede the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence in July.
The BBC has reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.
Last month, the King stated that the Royal Family was “ready to support” police in their inquiries after his brother was arrested and subsequently released on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The matter pertains to Andrew’s tenure as the UK’s trade representative between 2001 and 2011 and follows allegations that he shared official documents with Epstein.
Files recently released by the Justice Department also include photographs of Mountbatten-Windsor with Epstein, and of the former prince kneeling over a woman whose face is redacted, lying on the floor.
In 2022, Mountbatten-Windsor reached an out-of-court settlement with his most prominent accuser, Virginia Giuffre, who alleged that he sexually abused her when she was 17. The settlement included no admission of liability.