US President Donald Trump said he feels “badly” for the royal family amid the continuing fallout over Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
It comes as reports claim that Andrew “refused to sign off” on royal statements that supported the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex abuse.
A source close to the King and Queen said the former prince would veto references to abuse victims in all statements since his disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview, blocking the Palace from acknowledging them, according to The Times.
But in the King’s latest statement, in which he stripped Andrew of his royal titles, he made clear his support for survivors in the line: “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
When questioned about the King’s decision to remove Andrew’s prince title, the US president said: “It’s a terrible thing that’s happened to the (royal) family.”
On Thursday, the King took the dramatic decision to officially remove Andrew’s Prince and Duke of York titles and HRH style, following pressure over his ties with Epstein.
Watch: ‘Brought down a prince’: Virginia Giuffre’s family reacts to Andrew being stripped of royal title
Harriette Boucher3 November 2025 19:30
Prince Andrew decision will have been stressful for King, says Charles’s friend
King Charles’s friend says stripping Andrew of his “prince” title will have been a “stressful” decision for the monarch to make.
“If this wasn’t stressful, he’s a human being, nothing would be stressful,” Jonathan Dimbleby, friend and biographer of the King, told BBC Radio 4 on Friday.
Harriette Boucher3 November 2025 18:45
Andrew proposed ‘catch up’ with Epstein months before infamous New York meeting
Unsealed court documents have revealed that in an email in April 2010, following a suggestion from Epstein that the then-prince should meet American banker Jes Staley, Andrew said he would try to “drop by” New York later in the year.
In his disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019, Andrew, when pressed about why he met Epstein in New York in December 2010, said that he wanted to break up their friendship in person because doing it over the phone “was the chicken’s way of doing it”.
Harriette Boucher3 November 2025 17:30
Watch: Question Time filming halted and audience burst into applause as Andrew news breaks
Harriette Boucher3 November 2025 16:29
Andrew’s car spotted leaving Royal Lodge
The Duke of York car was seen exiting the Royal Lodge on Monday, following the King’s decision to evict Andrew from the Windsor residence.
The former prince does not appear to be in the vehicle.
Harriette Boucher3 November 2025 15:27
Prince Andrew decision will have been stressful for King, says Charles’s friend
King Charles’s friend says stripping Andrew of his “prince” title will have been a “stressful” decision for the monarch to make.
“If this wasn’t stressful, he’s a human being, nothing would be stressful,” Jonathan Dimbleby, friend and biographer of the King, told BBC Radio 4 on Friday.
Prince Andrew decision will have been stressful for King, says Charles’s friend
King Charles’s friend says stripping Andrew of his “prince” title will have been a “stressful” decision for the monarch to make. “If this wasn’t stressful, he’s a human being, nothing would be stressful,” Jonathan Dimbleby, friend and biographer of the King, told BBC Radio 4 on Friday (31 October). “He is undergoing treatment for cancer, that is stressful enough,” he added. Prince Andrew was stripped of his titles and evicted from his royal residence after growing pressure to oust him from the lodge over his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations from Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre. A Buckingham Palace statement said: “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him. “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
Harriette Boucher3 November 2025 14:59
How much will Andrew receive after leaving Royal Lodge?
Andrew is set to receive a six-figure payment, which will be privately funded by the King, once he vacates Royal Lodge.
He will also be given an ongoing annual stipend, which will be worth several times the value of his £20,000-a-year Navy pension, according to The Guardian.
The newspaper claims that “relocation settlement” is intended to cover his move from Windsor to Sandringham, and the regular payments are designed to prevent him from “overspending in his new life as a commoner”.
Harriette Boucher3 November 2025 14:55
Why Gen Z isn’t buying Andrew’s royal exile – and it could mean a way back for Harry
King Charles’s move to strip Prince Andrew of his titles was meant to restore faith in the monarchy, but for younger generations, steeped in the Epstein era, the gesture feels too little, too late and far from authentic, writes Chloe Combi.
So, where does the royal family go from here?
Harriette Boucher3 November 2025 14:25
Watch: Trump says Prince Andrew being stripped of titles is ‘tragic situation’
US President Donald Trump feels “badly” for the royal family amid the fallout over Andrew’s ongoing scandal.
“It’s a terrible thing that’s happened to the (royal) family,” Mr Trump told reporters on board Air Force One late on Sunday.
“That’s been a tragic situation. It’s too bad. I feel badly for the family.”
Harriette Boucher3 November 2025 13:58
Recap: Prince Andrew could lose out on most of his compensation for leaving Royal Lodge
But sources have told The Telegraph his now-former home is in dire need of repairs and maintenance – and that Andrew may end up out of pocket if costs are deducted from his package.
Harriette Boucher3 November 2025 13:29