King Charles says members of the royal family will co-operate with police as his brother Andrew’s relationship with Epstein comes under scrutiny.

King Charles III shown on Monday that the British royal family will cooperate when the police come to ask questions about his younger brother, Prince Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

“The King has made clear, in words and actions that have never been seen before, his deep concern about the allegations that continue to emerge about Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct,” a Buckingham Palace spokesman said in a statement. “While the claims in question are for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to answer, if contacted by Thames Valley Police we are as ready to support them as you would expect.”

The statement from the royal family came as police in the borough surrounding much of London confirmed they were investigating information suggesting Mountbatten-Windsor shared secret government information with the late American financier and was convicted of child abuse when the prince was then a British trade envoy.

This information was reported to Thames Valley police by the anti-monarchy group The Republic, citing documents released by the US Department of Justice as part of the release of files related to Epstein, who was convicted of soliciting sex from a minor and accused of child sex trafficking there. He committed suicide in a New York prison cell.

Police told CBS News that the information in the report is being reviewed “in accordance with our established procedures,” to determine whether an official investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor’s actions is warranted.

The Republic accused Mountbatten-Windsor of misconduct in public office and breaching official secrecy laws – charges that carry a life sentence in Britain.

King Charles has taken a number of steps to punish and isolate his younger brother since details of Mountbatten-Windsor’s close relationship with Epstein first emerged last year, including stripping him of all his titles and duties and kicking him out of his Windsor estate near London.

New information about Andrew in the Epstein files

While previous allegations focused on the former prince’s encounters with young women in association with Epstein, the Republican allegations focus on his actions as a British trade executive.

Emails among millions of documents issued by the US Department of Justice on Jan. 30 it seems that the former prince passed on secret reports about his visits as the official British trade envoy to Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam, including details of investment opportunities.

One email thread shows that after her Asia trip, on November 30, 2010, Mountbatten-Windsor sent official reports on her visit, sent to her by her then-special adviser Amit Patel, to Epstein, minutes after receiving them. None of the messages from the then prince to Epstein correspond to the message that was transmitted.

Another email exchange between the men, the following month, appears to show Mountbatten-Windsor sharing files he described as “top secret” about potential investment opportunities in southern Afghanistan where British forces were based at the time.

Then Prince Andrew said he shared the documents with Epstein to seek “comments, ideas or opinions on who I can best show this to attract” to the opportunities described in brief.

The allegations coincide with similar revelations from the latest section of the Epstein files suggesting that former British Ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson shared classified government information with the late American financier. London Metropolitan Police confirm the investigation in his actions earlier this month.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to tap Mandelson to a key diplomatic post has delivered great pressure on the UK leader to resignalthough they follow i the resignation of his chief of staff on Sunday, and a meeting with his cabinet on Monday, Starmer appeared likely to keep his job, at least for now.

Prince William and Kate “very worried”

Mountbatten-Windsor’s behavior with young women, as documented in files related to Epstein released by both the US Department of Justice and the US Congress last year, has never been charged with a crime, and the former prince has always denied any wrongdoing.

Photos of him with women have continued to appear in the files, however, following his departure in 2022 to out of court with Epstein survivor Virginia Guiffrereportedly with millions of dollars, it keeps a lot of pressure on the royal family. Guiffre he died by suicide last year.

In a statement released Monday, King Charles’ first son Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, said they were “deeply concerned by the continuing revelations” about Mountbatten-Windsor, and “their thoughts remain with the victims.”

It was the first public comment from the heir to the British throne about the scandal over his uncle’s actions.