Trump expresses sympathy for UK royal family after Prince Andrew stripped of titles

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he felt “badly” for the British royal family after King Charles III stripped his brother, Prince Andrew, of his remaining royal titles amid the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

“I feel very badly. I mean, it’s a terrible thing that’s happened to the family,” Trump told Agence France-Presse (AFP) aboard Air Force One. “That’s been a tragic situation, and it’s too bad. I mean, I feel badly for the family.”

The former prince, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, is also set to lose his honorary title of vice-admiral, the final military rank he retains, according to British officials. Defense Minister John Healey told the BBC on Sunday, “Guided again by the king, we are working now to remove that last remaining title of vice-admiral that he has.”

Andrew’s other honorary military titles were removed by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 2022 after he was sued by Virginia Giuffre, Epstein’s main accuser. Andrew has consistently denied Giuffre’s allegations of sexual abuse, while she claimed in her posthumous memoir that she was trafficked to have sex with him three times, twice as a minor.

Trump, 79, has faced scrutiny over his own connections to Epstein, the financier who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Authorities ruled Epstein’s death a suicide, though conspiracy theories suggesting foul play continue to circulate, particularly among Trump supporters.

The US president has repeatedly denied any involvement, calling allegations related to Epstein a “hoax” orchestrated by political rivals.

Trump’s comments also come after his highly publicized state visit to the UK in September, during which he received a lavish state dinner at Windsor Castle, military parades, and a flyover. He has long expressed admiration for the British royal family despite the ongoing controversies surrounding Prince Andrew.

The stripping of Andrew’s remaining titles marks the latest chapter in a scandal that has significantly tarnished the former prince’s reputation, once celebrated for his service as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War.