King Charles III and Queen Camilla are postponing planned meetings with Jeffrey Epstein victims during their U.S. state visit due to ongoing police inquiries in Britain, as Epstein’s scandal continues to shake the monarchy. The king’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—close to Epstein and stripped of titles over his ties to the convicted sex offender—was arrested this year on misconduct in public office charges; he denies wrongdoing and remains under investigation. Family members of Virginia Giuffre, who alleges Epstein trafficked her to Britain and forced sex with Mountbatten-Windsor in 2001, criticized the decision, calling it a ‘missed opportunity’ for accountability. Giuffre’s family held a vigil in Washington to mark a year since her suicide after her memoir was published.

Epstein’s connections to British elites have also derailed key government appointments: Peter Mandelson, Britain’s ambassador to the U.S., was fired over files showing his friendship with Epstein and later arrested on accusations of sharing confidential information with him; he denies wrongdoing and has not been charged. Prime Minister Keir Starmer also dismissed Olly Robbins, the Foreign Office’s top civil servant, after the department failed to inform ministers about Mandelson’s vetting failures. These moves highlight the scandal’s deep impact on British institutions.

As the Epstein scandal disrupts royal and diplomatic affairs, the lack of victim meetings during the king’s visit underscores the tension between royal protocol and accountability demands. The ongoing inquiries into Mountbatten-Windsor and Mandelson’s conduct reveal the enduring fallout of Epstein’s influence, as families of survivors push for transparency in high-profile cases.