LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) - The family of Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre on Saturday urged Britain's King Charles to meet with survivors during his state visit to the United States later this month, saying the trip coincides with the anniversary of her death.
In a statement shared with Reuters, Sky and Amanda Roberts said the visit would take place two days after the one-year anniversary of Giuffre taking her own life.
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"We strongly urge King Charles to meet with us and survivors and hear what we have to say," they said. "We are thankful to him for heeding our sister's allegations against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and for his decisive action in stripping his brother from his position as a prince."
Buckingham Palace didn't respond to a request for comment. Palace officials have previously said the king could not become involved while investigations connected to sexual abuse by Epstein and his circle remain ongoing.
Giuffre accused the late U.S. financier Epstein of trafficking her to King Charles' younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, when she was 17.
Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied the allegations and reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022 without admitting wrongdoing. He has said he had no recollection of meeting Giuffre.
HIGH-PROFILE U.S. TRIP
Charles and his wife Queen Camilla are due to visit the United States from April 27 to 30 on a trip timed to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The state visit comes as Britain seeks to steady relations with U.S. President Donald Trump after tensions over the Iran war, placing additional attention on the monarch's programme in Washington.
After renewed scrutiny over Mountbatten-Windsor's friendship with Epstein, the king moved to remove his brother from public life, stripping him of military roles, patronages and the use of his royal titles.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he passed confidential documents to Epstein. He has denied wrongdoing.
The Roberts said they hoped the king would meet survivors of sexual abuse by Epstein and his circle directly and that dialogue with survivors and their families could lead to action by the British government against Epstein's co-conspirators.
Buckingham Palace has previously said that the royal family's "thoughts and utmost sympathies" were with victims and survivors of abuse.
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Susan Fenton
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Facts Only
Virginia Giuffre's family, Sky and Amanda Roberts, urged King Charles to meet with survivors during his U.S. state visit.
The visit coincides with the one-year anniversary of Giuffre's death by suicide.
Giuffre accused Jeffrey Epstein of trafficking her to Prince Andrew when she was 17.
Prince Andrew has denied the allegations and settled out of court with Giuffre in 2022 without admitting wrongdoing.
King Charles' U.S. visit is scheduled from April 27 to 30, marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Buckingham Palace has not responded to the family's request, citing ongoing investigations into Epstein's circle.
Prince Andrew was stripped of military roles, patronages, and royal titles by King Charles.
Prince Andrew was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public office, which he denies.
The Roberts family seeks dialogue with survivors to prompt British government action against Epstein's co-conspirators.
Buckingham Palace previously stated its "thoughts and utmost sympathies" are with abuse survivors.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The strongest version of this narrative frames King Charles' U.S. visit as an opportunity for moral leadership, with Giuffre's family leveraging the anniversary of her death to amplify calls for accountability. The request is strategically timed to coincide with a high-profile diplomatic moment, increasing pressure on the monarchy to engage with survivors. The palace's silence, justified by ongoing investigations, reflects institutional caution but risks appearing evasive. Prince Andrew's legal troubles and past associations with Epstein create a persistent reputational liability for the royal family, complicating efforts to distance itself from the scandal.
Patterns detected: ARC-0024 Ambiguity (palace's non-response framed as procedural necessity), ARC-0043 Motte-and-Bailey (family's appeal oscillates between moral urgency and institutional critique).
Root cause: The narrative hinges on the tension between institutional preservation and survivor justice. The monarchy's historical insulation from direct accountability clashes with modern demands for transparency, echoing broader societal reckonings with power and abuse. The U.S. visit becomes a proxy for this conflict, with diplomatic optics intersecting with unresolved trauma.
Implications: If King Charles engages, it could signal a shift in royal accountability but may also politicize survivor advocacy. If he declines, it reinforces perceptions of institutional self-protection. Second-order consequences include potential strain on U.S.-UK relations if the visit is overshadowed by scandal, and further erosion of public trust in the monarchy's moral authority.
Bridge questions: How might institutional neutrality in ongoing investigations be reconciled with survivor demands for acknowledgment? What role should symbolic gestures play in systemic justice? Would a meeting with survivors be seen as substantive or performative?
Counterstrike scan: A coordinated influence campaign would exploit the anniversary to maximize emotional pressure, frame the monarchy's silence as complicity, and amplify divisions between institutional loyalty and survivor solidarity. The actual content aligns with this pattern but lacks overt manipulation—it reflects genuine advocacy rather than orchestrated attack. The palace's restraint, while strategically sound, may inadvertently fuel skepticism.