Prince William And Kate Middleton’s Charity Not Spared From Epstein Fallout Plaguing Monarchy

Prince William and Kate Middleton are the latest royals to be affected by the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, which involved ties to former Prince Andrew.

A charity connected to the royal couple recently accepted a resignation from one of its trustees after she was linked to Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes when he was alive. 

Notably, the charity supports the hospital where Middleton received her cancer treatment in 2024. 

The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity recently lost one of its trustees, German countess Nicole Junkermann, following new discoveries made in the Epstein case.

According to The Telegraph, the countess is said to have exchanged hundreds of emails with Epstein, in which she reportedly called him fond names, such as “baby” and “Mr. Wonderful.” In one, she also fondly calls him her “heart.”

While Junkermann’s involvement came as a shock to the public, the German countess has expressed remorse over her ties to the convicted felon. She reportedly “deeply regrets” her conversations with him and noted that he deceived her. 

The report also stated that Junkermann has been “absolutely horrified to come to understand the true nature and the suffering he inflicted on women and girls through his abuse of trust, power, and manipulation.” 

One of Junkermann’s representatives made it clear that her decision to step back from the charity is to ensure that the new discoveries do not distract from the organization's mission. 

On the other hand, a rep for the charity released a statement, saying, “In view of the ongoing media interest and her wish to support the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, Nicole Junkermann has offered her resignation as trustee, which has been accepted.”

Notably, the Prince and Princess of Wales have been patrons of the charity for over a year, and Prince William has been president of the Royal Marsden for about 19 years now. 

Before Junkermann’s ties with Epstein became public, the royal family was already knee-deep in the looming scandal thanks to ex-Prince Andrew's close relationship with Epstein. 

As a result, Prince William has put a long rope between himself and his uncle, who has since been stripped of his royal titles and benefits due to his involvement with Epstein.

According to The Blast, royal expert Hilary Fordwich noted that Prince William is “modernizing the monarchy” by making it clear that the royal family stands with the victims. As such, the Prince will not defend his uncle in any way. 

Prince William was not the only member of the royal family who found Andrew’s ties to Epstein disturbing. King Charles recently reacted to the discoveries, expressing “profound concern” about them. 

A spokesperson for the king released a statement, saying, “The king has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor's conduct,” per The Blast.

The monarch also made it known that the royal family’s “thoughts and sympathies” are with the victims of abuse. 

Before King Charles’ statements, reports surfaced suggesting that Prince William had hired a PR strategist to manage the unfolding scandal that seemed to threaten the monarchy's peace amid the Epstein revelations. 

As reported by The Blast, Prince William hired Liza Ravenscroft, a PR expert with a background in crisis management.

A source noted that Ravenscroft was likely brought on board to help manage the “royal challenges.” 

The new PR expert will reportedly shield William and Middleton from further media scrutiny, enabling them to focus on their royal duties and family life. 

Meanwhile, in addition to protecting the royal family's image, Prince William has reportedly been advocating for a greater distance between Andrew and the family. 

Prince William, in particular, is the strongest proponent of distancing Andrew from the royal family. He wants his wayward uncle as far away as possible,” Royal expert Hilary Fordwich said, according to The Blast.

Fordwich also noted that the Prince of Wales doesn’t want his reign "overshadowed" by the scandals and, as such, wouldn't want to keep Andrew around, as he would likely be a liability.

William reportedly wants “distance in every sense” and has sided with public sentiment on the matter.