LONDON, United Kingdom — The British government said it would support the release of official documents relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s tenure as a trade envoy, as police continue to investigate allegations that he disclosed confidential material to Jeffrey Epstein.
The pledge followed a motion introduced in Parliament by the Liberal Democrats seeking publication of the files.
Chris Bryant, the Labour minister responsible for Business and Trade, confirmed in the House of Commons that the government would back the measure.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday, February 19, on suspicion of misconduct in a public office.
Thames Valley Police later released him under investigation.
He has consistently denied any wrongdoing connected to his association with Epstein.
Parliamentary Vote and Ministerial Statement
Members of Parliament approved the motion on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
Addressing the Commons, Bryant said, “Let me be clear from the outset, we support this motion today. Frankly, it is the least we owe the victims of the horrific abuse that was perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein and others, the abuse that was enabled, aided and abetted by a very extensive group of arrogant, entitled and often very wealthy individuals in this country and elsewhere.”
Bryant also delivered pointed criticism of Mountbatten-Windsor and others whom he described as having enabled wrongdoing.
“It’s not just the people who participated in the abuse,” he told the House of Commons. “It’s the many, many more who turned a blind eye out of greed, familiarity or deference.
“To my mind, they too were complicit. Just as complicit. And I welcome the reckoning that is coming to them now.”
He added: “Colleagues and many civil servants have told me their own stories of their interactions with Mr Mountbatten-Windsor and they all portray the same pattern.
“A man on a constant self-aggrandizing and self-enriching hustle, a rude, arrogant and entitled man who could not distinguish between the public interest which he said he served, and his own private interest.”
Questions Over Trade Envoy Appointment
Mountbatten-Windsor has faced allegations that he passed confidential information to Epstein while serving as a trade envoy.
Scrutiny has also intensified over how he was appointed to the role and why he remained in post despite reported complaints from diplomats.
A report in The Guardian in April 2001 stated that King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, opposed the appointment, while Queen Elizabeth II supported it.
A full release of government documents could shed light on internal discussions about the decision and assessments of Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct in office.
Timing and Ongoing Investigation
Despite backing disclosure, the government indicated that publication could be delayed to avoid interfering with the criminal investigation.
Thames Valley Police are reviewing millions of emails contained in files released by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Officers are also examining material seized during searches of Mountbatten-Windsor’s former residence at Royal Lodge and his current home in Sandringham.
Further interviews with current and former staff may also be conducted.
Bryant told lawmakers, “I want to make sure that we move as fast as we possibly can, but I also want to make sure that justice does happen, and I don’t want to do anything that would undermine the police investigations.
“I hope that they will be able to move as swiftly as possible and we will certainly cooperate with them as swiftly as possible.
“It’s worth bearing in mind that the documents that might be envisaged in this are mostly 25-years-old. Some of them are a bit earlier. They may be substantial in number and many of them will be in hard copy.
“So, I hate to add to fears about the speed with which things may be able to happen, but we would all want to make sure that we do do all of this in a proper fashion.”
If charges were brought and Mountbatten-Windsor entered a plea of not guilty, proceedings could extend the timeline before any release.
Officials have signalled that the handling of the documents will take into account the scale of material and the need to preserve the integrity of the investigation.
The case has prompted renewed scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment and his connections with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking offences linked to Epstein.
Any disclosure of records documenting discussions within government or with Buckingham Palace could intensify questions about who was aware of concerns at the time and how they were addressed.
