Charles wanted to acknowledge ‘victims’ in speech to Congress including those abused by Epstein, palace says
Palace, King III. He said Charles wanted to commemorate victims of abuse, including alleged survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, in his joint address to Congress.
“In both countries, it is the reality of our vibrant, diverse and free societies that gives us our collective strength, including supporting the victims of some of the diseases that are tragically present in both our societies today,” the British monarch said in a speech on Capitol Hill on Tuesday afternoon.
Charles has stopped short of acknowledging victims of specific crimes, including those allegedly sexually abused by Epstein. But a palace aide said it was “on the king’s mind to acknowledge victims of abuse, so they were naturally included in that line.”
The King’s younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has vehemently denied accusations that he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers. Giuffre died by suicide about a year ago at the age of 41.
Earlier this month, Giuffre’s family strongly encouraged Charles to meet with them and other alleged Epstein victims during his state visit to the US with Queen Camilla.
“[We] “We are hopeful that discussions with survivors and their families will enable the British government to take decisive action against Jeffrey Epstein’s collaborators,” the family said in a statement to the BBC. news night.
Andrew was mentioned 88 times in Giuffre’s posthumous memoir. Nobody’s Daughter.
Giuffre first met Andrew when they went out to dinner in London, then met Epstein and his longtime partner Ghislaine Maxwell at a nightclub, she wrote in her memoirs. She was 17 at the time and Andrew was 41. She claimed they had sex for the first time after their night out, writing: “He was friendly enough but he still had a point; it was like he believed it was his birthright to have sex with me.”
during BBC news night In a November 2019 interview, Andrew denied having sex with Giuffre.
Charles officially stripped Andrew of his title as prince last November.
Andrew was arrested by British police in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his ties to Epstein. It comes after local authorities said they were considering reports that Andrew sent trader information to the wealthy financier in 2010 when he was British special envoy.
The former prince was released after being detained for hours. He was not charged with a crime.
Charles is the second British monarch to address Congress; his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth became the first person to do this in 1991.
In his speech, Charles emphasized the importance of NATO as the military alliance is under intense scrutiny from President Donald Trump and most recently for his refusal to become directly involved in the Iran war.
The King also acknowledged how executive authority is “subject to checks and balances,” while the White House posted a photo of him and Trump on social media with the caption “TWO KINGS.”
Charles and Camilla’s four-day state visit to celebrate 250 years of American independence began with a garden party at the British Embassy in Washington on Monday. On Tuesday night, Charles and Camilla attend a state dinner at the White House.
The king and queen will also visit New York and Virginia this week.
