Queen Camilla could do what Melania won’t — face Epstein controversy on her own

Queen Camilla may soon find herself doing something Melania Trump has so far declined to do: directly engaging with Jeffrey Epstein’s victims.

According to a report from the British tabloid Daily Star, Camilla could potentially meet with some Epstein survivors during an upcoming U.S. trip tied to America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. This move would place the British royal family face-to-face with a scandal that has shadowed the monarchy for years.

The possibility comes not long after First Lady Melania Trump issued a rare public statement about the Epstein case, calling on Congress to hold public hearings for survivors and urging that victims be allowed to testify under oath.

While Melania framed the issue as one of transparency and justice, she stopped short of announcing any direct outreach to survivors herself.

If Camilla were to meet with victims during the U.S. visit, it would mark an unusually direct royal acknowledgment of a scandal that has become deeply intertwined with the British monarchy because of Prince Andrew’s long-running association with Epstein.

Epstein and the British royal family

Andrew’s ties to the convicted sex offender have plagued the royal family for years. The late Epstein victim, Virginia Giuffre, accused the former Duke of York, Andrew, of sexually assaulting her, and that Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, trafficked her to the royal family member.

Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegations, but he settled Giuffre’s lawsuit in 2022 without admitting liability. The fallout led to Queen Elizabeth II stripping him of his military affiliations and royal patronages, and he has largely disappeared from public royal life.

The controversy has continued to hang over King Charles III’s reign, with periodic new disclosures and renewed public scrutiny of Andrew’s past relationship with Epstein. Analysts have long viewed the scandal as one of the most damaging crises facing the modern monarchy.

Camilla’s reported willingness to meet with victims — if such a meeting occurs — could be interpreted as a symbolic effort to demonstrate empathy and distance the institution from Andrew’s conduct. Buckingham Palace has not publicly confirmed any such meeting plans.

Melania’s Epstein statement

Melania Trump’s recent involvement in the Epstein conversation has also generated controversy. In her White House statement, she denied having any close ties to Epstein or Maxwell and called allegations linking her to the pair politically motivated. She also urged lawmakers to center survivors in the ongoing public debate over Epstein-related records and investigations.

That statement itself drew mixed reactions, with some survivors and advocates criticizing Melania for suggesting victims should again publicly relive their trauma in congressional hearings rather than focusing on institutional accountability.

On whether Camilla will meet with Epstein survivors, one victim, Lisa Phillips, told Daily Star, “She’s always been supportive of the survivors, and she’s taken a stand for us, so she would be the more likely person to meet with us. So we are hopeful that maybe she will.”