LONDON (AP) — In an earlier era, Britain’s royal family might have tried to bury the scandal surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Not during the reign of King Charles III.
Since October, the king has stripped his younger brother of the right to be called prince, forced him to move out of the royal estate he occupied for more than 20 years and issued a public statement supporting the women and girls abused by Epstein.
Then came Monday’s unprecedented announcement that Buckingham Palace was ready to cooperate in the event of a police inquiry into Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein.
Charles was forced to act after the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of Epstein documents that revealed the details of his relationship with Mountbatten-Windsor and torpedoed the former prince’s claims that he severed ties with the financier after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Fifty or 100 years ago, “you can imagine the gentlemen’s agreements" that would have sought to "bury this kind of story,” said Ed Owens, author of “After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?”
“But, thankfully, we live in a more democratic age where people are rightly held accountable for their actions. In taking the moral high ground — and that is what the king is doing here — the monarchy is signaling very clearly that it recognizes that public opinion demands that justice be served and that it is willing to comply with the police inquiry.”
The King's latest step was triggered by allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor sent Epstein confidential reports from a 2010 tour of Southeast Asia, which he undertook as Britain’s envoy for international trade. The correspondence was uncovered by reporters combing through the Justice Department files.
The Thames Valley Police, an agency that covers areas west of London, including Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home, said Monday that it was “assessing” the reports. The police statement quickly brought a response from the palace.
“The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct," the palace said in a statement. “While the specific claims in question are for Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect.’’
Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing in his relationship with Epstein.
The palace’s announcement was splashed across British newspapers on Tuesday, with The Sun tabloid filling its front page with the headline “King: We’ll Help Cops on Andy.”
The palace’s commitment to cooperate with police is just the latest in a series of actions designed to isolate Mountbatten-Windsor and shield the rest of the royal family from the scandal, said Craig Prescott, an expert on constitutional law and the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London.
While the revelations about Mountbatten-Windsor have tarnished the family’s reputation, support for the monarchy remains firm, Prescott said.
“As long as it’s contained to Prince Andrew, then I think the monarchy’s relatively safe,” he said of the scandal.
Britain’s royal family has struggled to respond to Mountbatten-Windsor’s behavior since 2010, when Virginia Giuffre alleged that Epstein had flown her to Britain to have sex with the man who was then a prince of the realm. Giuffre, who was just 17 at the time, died by suicide last year.
But under the late Queen Elizabeth II, who sought to preserve the royal mystique with the philosophy of “never complain, never explain,” the palace was largely silent.
That became untenable in 2019, when Mountbatten-Windsor gave a disastrous interview to the BBC. Instead of silencing his critics, the interview only fueled the scandal after the royal gave implausible explanations for his behavior and failed to show sympathy for Epstein’s victims.
Soon after the interview, Elizabeth forced her second son to give up his royal duties and his work with charities across the country.
But the man who was reputed to be the queen’s favorite child remained Prince Andrew until last fall.
Then in October the publication of an unflattering book about the prince’s sense of entitlement and the looming release of the Justice Department files prompted the king to strip his brother of his remaining royal titles, including the right to be called a prince.
Charles also ordered his brother to vacate Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle that is owned by the crown and managed for the benefit of taxpayers.
Mountbatten-Windsor left his longtime home last week months ahead of schedule. He is now living on the Sandringham Estate in eastern England, which is privately owned by the king.
The fallout from the scandal remains a “massive problem” for the monarchy's future, Owens said.
The king’s decision to cooperate with a potential investigation means the palace may turn over documents and allow staff, or even members of the royal family, to be interviewed by police.
“This is going to lead to more unwanted headlines,” Owens said. “But this is how you exorcise the demon of Jeffrey Epstein.”
FILE - Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Andrew, left, and Britain's King Charles III leave after the Requiem Mass service for the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral in London, Sept. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Joanna Chan, File)
Thousands of Catholic devotees commemorated Good Friday across Latin America with processions and ceremonies re-enacting the crucifixion of Jesus.
In Antigua, a colonial-era city in southern Guatemala, dozens dressed in purple and white robes and made their way under the early morning sun, many of them penitents known as “cucuruchos.” Others carried centuries-old images of Jesus through cobblestone streets.
The city hosts more than a dozen processions throughout Holy Week, set against a backdrop of volcanoes.
Marcos Bautista, 63, said he has attended the Good Friday observances since his father brought him along as a baby in his arms.
“To describe Holy Week in Antigua, there are no words that can capture what it feels like," Bautista said. “It’s a feeling that, just by speaking about what Jesus has done in our lives, moves me deeply.”
In Bolivia, President Rodrigo Paz traveled to the southern city of Tarija to participate in Good Friday ceremonies.
The country is a secular state under its constitution and its leaders refrained from engaging in any religious events between 2006 and 2025. But Paz — who took office last November — broke with precedent by attending Palm Sunday Mass carrying a palm frond.
In the capital city of La Paz, local authorities and military bands accompanied Good Friday processions, in which hooded penitents carried the Holy Sepulcher through the streets.
Antonio Santamaría, who was holding an image of Jesus, said he welcomed the government’s presence. “I’m glad everyone is here now,” Santamaría said.
Bolivia remains a predominantly Catholic country, alongside strong Indigenous spiritual traditions. In some households, it is customary to eat only fish on Good Friday and prepare up to 12 dishes representing the apostles of Jesus, a tradition that has declined in recent years amid an economic crisis.
In Ecuador, where about 80% of the population identifies as Catholic, processions were held across major cities. In the capital, Quito, the “Jesús del Gran Poder” procession drew more than 150,000 faithful who filled the historic center’s streets with chants and prayers as they accompanied an image of Jesus carrying the cross.
Thousands more climbed the Monserrate Hill in neighboring Colombia. At more than 10,200 feet (3,100 meters) above sea level, they reached the summit in the capital city of Bogotá to attend Mass at the basilica. Similar observances, including reenactments of the Stations of the Cross, were held in other parts of the country.
Mexicans, too, celebrated Good Friday in a country that’s home to nearly 100 million Catholics.
Masked penitents, in chains and with pieces of cactus stuck to their skin, walked through the town of Atlixco, in the central state of Puebla. Known as the “Procession of the Chained," it’s part of a tradition in which some participants pay penance for their sins and others thank God for miracles.
“It’s very beautiful, very sad,” said Marcela Ramírez, a homemaker who attended the procession. “It’s a kind of reverence, and you have to come and accompany them.”
While the share of Catholics in Latin America has declined over the past decade, the faith remains the region’s largest religion.
In several countries, including Peru and Argentina, more than 60% of adults still identify as Catholic, according to 2024 surveys by the Pew Research Center and Latinobarómetro.
AP journalists Moisés Castillo in Antigua, Guatemala; Carlos Valdez and Juan Karita in La Paz, Bolivia; Gonzalo Solano and Gabriela Molina, in Quito, Ecuador; and Martín Silva in Atlixco, Mexico, contributed to this report.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
A penitents known as a "Veronica" takes part in the Jesus del Gran Poder procession in Quito, Ecuador, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa).
Hooded penitents known as "Cucuruchos" take part in the Jesus del Gran Poder procession in Quito, Ecuador, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa).
A blindfolded penitent wears a crown of thorns before a Good Friday procession during Holy Week celebrations in Atlixco, Mexico, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Chains drape over the Santa Muerte tattoo of a penitent before a Good Friday procession during Holy Week in Atlixco, Mexico, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
A penitent wearing chains and prickly cactus holds a photo on a cross at a Good Friday procession during Holy Week in Atlixco, Mexico, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Penitents from the Nazareno brotherhood carry a statue of Jesus down the steps of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James the Apostle for a Good Friday procession during Holy Week in Tunja, Colombia, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
A hooded penitent from the Nazareno brotherhood waits for the Good Friday procession inside the Cathedral Basilica of St. James the Apostle during Holy Week in Tunja, Colombia, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Young women and girls carry jeweled hearts representing the Virgin Mary at a Good Friday procession during Holy Week in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Hooded penitents participate in a Good Friday procession during Holy Week in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
A statue of Jesus Christ with a cross makes its way past electric cables at La Merced church's Good Friday procession during Holy Week in Antigua, Guatemala, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Women carry children dressed as penitents knows as "cucuruchos" on the sidelines of La Merced church's Good Friday procession during Holy Week in Antigua, Guatemala, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Penitents carry statues of Jesus Christ representing the Stations of the Cross at a Good Friday procession by La Merced church during Holy Week in Antigua, Guatemala, just before sunrise Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Musicians dressed as Roman soldiers take part in La Merced church's Good Friday procession during Holy Week in Antigua, Guatemala, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
