In the wake of the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor scandal, there have been growing calls for the royal visitors to meet Epstein’s victims, including from US Congressman Ro Khanna, Epstein survivor Lisa Phillips and the family of the late Virginia Giuffre.
This will not be possible, according to Palace sources, who argue it could jeopardise legal proceedings and stop justice for victims.
The source said: “We fully understand and appreciate the survivors’ position, but can only reiterate that our position is clear that anything that could potentially impact on ongoing police inquiries and assessments, and any potential legal action that could result from that, would be to the detriment of the survivors themselves in their pursuit of justice.”
Queen Camilla has been a longstanding campaigner on domestic abuse, and a recent speech was seen as containing thinly-veiled references to Epstein’s victims.
“To every survivor of every kind of violence, many of whom have not been able to tell their stories or who have not been believed, please know that you are not alone,” the Queen told a reception at St James’s Palace.
State visits are carried out by the monarch on behalf of the UK government.
The Foreign Office says this trip will mark the 250th anniversary of US independence, and will celebrate a partnership of “shared prosperity, security and history”.
Trump has always spoken highly of the royals, and he previously said on social media that he would “look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect. It will be TERRIFIC!”
But the visit comes at a time of unusually tense relations, with Trump throwing barbed comments towards the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, in disagreements over the Iran war.
The itinerary for the visit suggests there will be few opportunities for the media to hear the King and the US President talking to each other off-script, away from set-piece speeches.
There are marked differences in the characters and attitudes of Trump and King Charles, which might need to be put aside during the visit.
Sir Keir has publicly acknowledged recent tensions between Downing Street and the White House.
“Mature alliances are not about pretending differences don’t exist; they are about addressing them directly, respectfully, and with a focus on results,” he said earlier this year, over US tariffs and threats to Greenland.
