Palace signals cooperation as Epstein fallout widens (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: This relates to the release of those Epstein files, because in the last few minutes King Charles has made his first intervention in the Epstein scandal. He said that he is ready to support the police as they consider allegations against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Here's a bit of the statement. 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. That is according to a Buckingham Palace spokesperson. 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. This all comes after Thames Valley Police confirmed it's assessing whether there are grounds to investigate a complaint by the anti-monarchy group Republic, which reported Mountbatten-Windsor for suspected misconduct in public office and breach of official secrets. So that is the very latest, very surprising intervention by King Charles into the Epstein scandal, unprecedented even. Let's now hear a little bit more about this from our Royal Correspondent Helena Wilkinson, who had told me a little bit more about this extraordinary statement from the Palace.

[00:01:20] Speaker 2: I think the statement is quite extraordinary. It's the first time really that we have heard that through this statement, through the Palace spokesperson's statement that the King's profound concerns at allegations which continue to come to light in respect and directly naming in that statement the King's younger brother, Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's conduct, where the statement points to the unprecedented actions that will likely be referring to when the King, if we cast our minds back to late last year, the King stripped his younger brother of his titles, including Duke of York and also Prince, which he had since he was born. But that statement continuing, 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. So a significant statement this evening from a Palace spokesperson. And clearly this issue is not going away for the royal family, but it appears that the King has decided that he has to put something further out. And we heard earlier, didn't we, from the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Prince of Wales, Prince William, who is currently in Saudi Arabia on a trip there asked by the UK government before he arrived in Saudi Arabia, Prince William and the Princess of Wales put out a statement. First time we heard them from them publicly saying that they were deeply concerned by the latest revelations about Jeffrey Epstein in their first public statement on the scandal. But this statement from the Palace spokesperson this evening, really going one step further, referring specifically to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's conduct and saying that while the specific claims in question are for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if they are approached by the police, then they are willing to support them. That in itself is extraordinary, Helena, isn't it? It is. We know that the King has previously put out various statements. And in this statement here this evening, it touches on Their Majesty's thoughts and sympathies have been and remain with the victims of any and all forms of abuse. We knew previously from sources that they felt that it was up to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as to whether he would answer any questions. And it was his conscience, really. But this evening, two things here, specifically naming Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in this statement and also that they are ready to support Thames Valley Police if they are approached. It is an extraordinary statement.

[00:04:19] Speaker 1: Well, that was our Royal Correspondent, Helena Wilkinson, talking to me a little bit earlier about what she herself described as an extraordinary statement from Buckingham Palace. There's more on that story on the BBC's website. But the fallout from the Epstein files has also continued to have political repercussions in the UK. For more on that, let's cross live to my colleague, Christian.

[00:04:44] Speaker 3: Marian, thank you very much. I've been saying through the course of the day how things have ebbed and flowed for the Prime Minister. There was a point this afternoon after the statement from Anas Sarwar where we thought things for the Prime Minister might start to turn against him, that things might indeed be terminal. And then things look to improve through the course of the afternoon as the Cabinet rallied behind him. But there's been a series of briefings over the last hour which really spells out for you just how deep this crisis goes, really.