COLUMN: William and Catherine Confront the Shadow of Epstein: When Silence Becomes Unbearable

A Disgraced Prince, but Still Under Protection

Andrew was stripped of his royal titles in October 2025, following the initial revelations. He left Royal Lodge, his residence in Windsor, earlier than planned, as if fleeing a place that had become too burdensome. Yet, despite everything, he remains protected. Protected by his family’s silence, protected by the opacity of the institutions, protected by a system that still seems reluctant to hold him accountable. The British tabloids speak of a “final exile.” But is it really an exile, when we know that the royal family has always ensured that he is never truly alone? That he has always benefited from discreet support and silent complicity? Today, the Thames Valley Police are investigating allegations that he passed confidential documents to Epstein. An investigation that, if successful, could very well place him at the center of a national scandal.

I often wonder how Epstein’s victims feel. These women, these young girls, whose innocence, dignity, and lives were stolen from them. I wonder what they think when they see Andrew—still free, still protected, still surrounded by that aura of respectability conferred by his name. I wonder how they feel when they hear the royal family speak of “concern,” but never of anger. Never of outrage. Never of the indignation that should move us all to action. Because the real question isn’t whether Andrew is guilty. It’s whether we’re capable of facing the truth head-on. Whether we’re capable of saying: Enough. Enough silence. Enough complicity. Enough undignified protection.

Why Did the Royal Family Take So Long to Respond?

For years, the royal family followed its motto: “Never complain, never explain.” ” A strategy that, in Andrew’s case, proved disastrous. The silence gave way to rumors, speculation, and the wildest theories. It gave the impression that the monarchy had something to hide. And when, finally, William and Catherine broke that silence, it was almost too late. Their statement, however necessary it may have been, sounds like an admission: that of a family that underestimated the gravity of the situation, that believed it could sweep the scandal under the rug, that thought time would heal all wounds. But today, times have changed. Victims no longer remain silent. The media no longer lets up. And the public no longer forgives.

Silence is a weapon. A weapon that can protect, but that can also destroy. The royal family has learned this the hard way. Because when you remain silent in the face of injustice, you become an accomplice. When you close your eyes to horror, you become responsible. And today, William and Catherine are paying the price for that silence. They’re paying the price for a strategy that failed. For a motto that no longer holds true. Because in today’s world, we can no longer remain silent. We can no longer look the other way. We can no longer pretend not to see. So yes, their statement is a first step. But it is not enough. It will never be enough. Not until the victims have obtained justice. Not until Andrew has been held accountable for his actions. Not until the monarchy has shown that it stands with the victims, not the perpetrators.

Broken Lives, Silenced Voices

Throughout this whole affair, Epstein’s victims remain largely forgotten. Their names are rarely mentioned. Their faces are blurred. Their stories are reduced to a few lines in court records. Yet they are the ones who endured the unspeakable. They are the ones bearing the scars of those years of abuse. They are the ones who, even today, are fighting to be heard, to be believed, and to obtain justice. Prince William, in his statement, expressed his “concern” over the revelations. But what about the victims? What about their suffering? What about their struggle? Because as long as the royal family does not put the victims at the heart of its response, as long as it does not offer them genuine support, its words will remain hollow. Its promises, empty. Its concern, an empty shell.

I often think of these women. Of those who dared to speak out. Of those who are still fighting to be heard. Of those who, every day, must relive their nightmare because a man like Andrew refuses to acknowledge his wrongdoing. I think of their courage. Of their determination. Of their refusal to let themselves be crushed. And I wonder: where is their justice? Where is their redress? Where is this royal family that should be standing by their side, that should be supporting them, that should be telling them: we believe you. We are with you. We won’t abandon you. Because that is what true nobility is. Not titles. Not palaces. Not complicit silences. True nobility is standing alongside those who suffer. Those who struggle. Those who, against all odds, refuse to be silenced.

An investigation that could change everything

The Thames Valley Police announced that it is investigating allegations that Andrew passed confidential documents to Epstein in 2010. An investigation that, if successful, could have devastating consequences for the monarchy. Because it would no longer be just allegations, rumors, or compromising photos. It would be evidence. Proven facts. A betrayal—not only moral, but also institutional. King Charles III has, in fact, stated that the royal family is “ready to assist the police” if necessary. A statement that, while reassuring, also raises a question: why wait so long? Why not act sooner, when the first revelations emerged? Why let the scandal fester, instead of defusing it?

I don’t believe in coincidences. I don’t believe the royal family suddenly decided to cooperate out of pure kindness. I believe they were backed into a corner. That they had no choice left. That they realized silence was no longer an option. But what strikes me is just how easily all of this could have been avoided. How much—if the monarchy had acted sooner, more decisively—it could have saved its reputation. It could have shown that it stood on the side of justice. That it stood on the side of the victims. That it stood on the side of honor. But no. It chose to remain silent. It chose to wait. It chose to let the scandal grow until it became unmanageable. And today, it is paying the price for that cowardice.

A System on Its Last Legs

The Epstein case has exposed the flaws in a monarchy that seems increasingly out of touch with the realities of the modern world. A monarchy that, when faced with the scandal, initially chose silence. That then tried to minimize the damage. That was finally forced to react, under pressure from public opinion and the media. But is that enough? Can we really believe that the royal family has learned its lesson from this crisis? Can we really believe that it is ready to change? Because if it doesn’t, if it continues to protect its own at the expense of justice, it risks losing far more than a prince. It risks losing its legitimacy. It risks losing the trust of those who, despite everything, still believe in it.

The British monarchy has survived centuries of crises—wars, scandals, revolutions. But today, it faces a far greater challenge: that of its own credibility. Because in today’s world, we can no longer be satisfied with symbols. We can no longer be satisfied with silence. We can no longer be satisfied with half-measures. We need action. We need courage. We need transparency. And above all, we need justice. Because if the monarchy doesn’t understand this, if it doesn’t see that the world has changed, then it is doomed. Doomed to become nothing more than a backdrop. A relic of the past. An empty shell. And that would be a tragedy. Not just for the monarchy. But for all of us.

The Narrow Path Between Tradition and Modernity

The royal family now faces a choice. It can continue to take refuge in silence, in secrecy, and in the protection of its members. Or it can reinvent itself. It can show that it is capable of putting the victims at the center of its concerns. To show that it is capable of cooperating fully with the justice system. To show that it is capable of saying: enough. Enough silence. Enough complicity. Enough undignified protection. Because only at this price will it be able to regain the public’s trust. Only at this price will it be able to survive in a world that no longer accepts compromises with injustice.

I am no enemy of the monarchy. I even believe it still has a role to play—a role of stability, tradition, and continuity. But to do so, it must change. It must understand that the world will no longer forgive its silence. That it will no longer forgive its complicity. That it will no longer forgive its unworthy protection of the guilty. So today, I am issuing a call to the monarchy. A call to wake up. A call to act. A call to stand with the victims. Because only then can it once again become what it has always claimed to be: a symbol of honor. A symbol of justice. A symbol of hope.

A Scandal That Transcends Borders

The Epstein case is not just a British scandal. It is a global scandal. A scandal that has implicated prominent figures around the world. A scandal that has exposed the flaws in a system where the powerful always seem to be able to evade justice. Against this backdrop, the royal family’s response is being closely scrutinized far beyond the borders of the United Kingdom. Because if it fails to respond to this crisis, if it fails to protect the victims, if it fails to cooperate with the justice system, it will not only be the British monarchy that is discredited. It will be the very idea of monarchy. It will be the very idea of justice. And none of us can afford that.

I’ll end this article with a thought for the victims. For those who dared to speak out. For those who are still fighting. For those who, despite everything, refuse to be crushed. I think of their courage. Their determination. Their refusal to remain silent. And I tell myself that it is them we must think of. Not the princes. Not the palaces. Not the complicit silences. But to them. Because it is for them that we must fight. Because it is for them that we must demand justice. Because it is for them that we must refuse to remain silent. So today, I choose to fight. I choose not to remain silent. I choose to stand by their side. What about you?

The Monarchy Put to the Test by History

The Epstein case is a test for the British monarchy—a test of its ability to evolve, to reinvent itself, and to put victims at the center of its concerns. William and Catherine have taken a first step. But one step isn’t enough. It takes a march. It requires a commitment. It requires a willingness to change. Because if the monarchy fails to do so—if it continues to take refuge in silence, in secrecy, and in the protection of its members—then it will have failed. Not just in the face of history. But in the face of itself.

I don’t know what the future holds for the British monarchy. I don’t know if it will learn the lessons of this crisis. But I know one thing: if it doesn’t, if it doesn’t understand that the world has changed, then it will be doomed. Doomed to become nothing more than a backdrop. A relic of the past. An empty shell. And that would be a tragedy. Not just for the monarchy. But for all of us. So today, I am making one final appeal to it. A call to wake up. A call to act. A call to stand with the victims. Because only then can it once again become what it has always claimed to be: a symbol of honor. A symbol of justice. A symbol of hope.

Signed, Jacques Provost