British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the former Prince Andrew should testify before a US congressional committee, following new revelations about his links to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
New files related to Epstein published by the US justice department on Friday included emails showing King Charles's brother maintained regular contact with Epstein for more than two years after he was found guilty of child sex crimes.
The files also include pictures appearing to show Andrew crouching over and touching the waist of an unidentified woman lying on the floor. Her face was blacked out in the redacted images.
The king stripped his brother of his title of prince and evicted him from his mansion in the grounds of Windsor Castle in November, in the wake of previous revelations about his links with Epstein.
The former prince, 65, now uses the family name Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He has denied wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and had previously denied maintaining ties with the financier after Epstein's 2008 conviction, apart from a 2010 visit to New York to end their relationship.
He did not reply to a Reuters request for comment on the latest revelations. Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
Starmer, speaking to reporters on the plane to Japan after a four-day visit to China, said the former prince should appear before US lawmakers to explain everything he knows about Epstein to help his victims.
"Anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information in whatever form they are asked to do that," Starmer said.
"You can't be victim centred if you're not prepared to do that."
"Epstein's victims have to be the first priority. Whether there should be an apology, that's a matter for Andrew," he said.
In November, members of a US congressional committee investigating the Epstein case intensified their calls for Andrew to answer questions.
Elsewhere in Friday's document dump, screenshots and scans appear to show the former prince exchanged emails with Epstein about a "beautiful" Russian woman and invited him to Buckingham Palace.
The files show Andrew maintained regular contact with Epstein after his conviction, including discussing potential business deals and social meetings.
In several emails, Epstein and Andrew discuss women that the financier proposes to put in touch with the prince. In one email, Epstein offered to bring three women to Buckingham Palace.
Emails also appear to show that Epstein wanted Sarah Ferguson, Andrew's ex-wife, to release a statement saying the financier was "not a pedo" and she had been "duped" into believing false allegations about him.
A series of email exchanges in the files involve Epstein and someone referred to just as "Sarah", whose email address is redacted, as well as discussions with others about "Fergie".
In one exchange from August 2009, "Sarah" thanked Epstein for "being the brother I have always wished for" and she has "never been more touched by a friends kindness".
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He was jailed in 2008 for soliciting paid sex from a minor.
with PA