King urged to show 'transparency' amid calls for him to meet Epstein victims during US trip
A final decision on King Charles’s proposed visit to the US has been delayed, with concerns the trip could be dominated by questions over Jeffrey Epstein and the Duke of York.
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The King is expected to travel to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, with palace officials said to be preparing for a three-day visit between 26 and 28 April, although it has not yet been confirmed.
The proposed trip has come under added pressure after calls in the US for the monarch to meet survivors of Epstein’s abuse.
Democratic congressman Ro Khanna said: “I think it would be good for the British monarchy to show that kind of introspection and transparency.”
But former palace press secretary Dickie Arbiter said such a move would be difficult.
“He can’t really meet them because that would imply that he thought his brother was guilty,” he said.
Several British police forces are also looking into sex trafficking allegations centring on Andrew and the notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
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Prince Andrew denies any wrongdoing.
Senior royal sources have also stressed the difficulty of the King discussing the case publicly, and it is thought unlikely the state visit schedule would be reworked simply to avoid the risk of protest or embarrassment linked to Andrew and Epstein, the I reports.
The uncertainty over the trip also comes against a backdrop of worsening UK-US relations.
Donald Trump has criticised Britain’s refusal to join military action against Iran, while opposition to the visit has also come from members of the public, senior Labour figures and former UK ambassador to the US Sir Peter Westmacott.
Although state visits are usually announced four to six weeks in advance, confirmation has yet to come. US officials have already said the King is expected to address Congress.
Warren Stephens, the US ambassador to Britain, said delaying the visit would be the wrong move, warning: “I think that would be a very big mistake.”
Arbiter said the decision remained finely balanced, adding: “It’s a very, very difficult call. There are all sorts of problems. The King can’t fix the problems between Starmer and Trump.”