Prince Andrew's private apartment inside Buckingham Palace has been thrust back into the spotlight after a woman who says she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein told US lawmakers she attended a dinner there — reigniting uncomfortable questions for the Royal Family at a time when the Palace is keen to focus attention elsewhere.
Dinner at the Palace
Sarah Kellen, who has stated she was abused by the disgraced financier and later received compensation from his estate, gave testimony to the US House Oversight Committee — details of which were reported by the BBC on Monday, 8 June. In her account, Kellen said she accompanied Epstein to a dinner hosted at Andrew's private Buckingham Palace apartment.
"She also said she attended Princess Beatrice's 18th birthday party at Windsor Castle in 2006 and did not witness inappropriate behaviour by Andrew," the BBC reported, summarising her testimony to the committee.
Andrew, who was stripped of his Duke of York title and military affiliations in 2022, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Buckingham Palace has previously cited King Charles III's concern over the matter, and the latest round of testimony comes as the House Oversight Committee continues its wide-ranging investigation into Epstein's network and those connected to it.
Thames Valley Police separately opened an inquiry amid reports circulating via email, and Andrew was arrested on 19 February before being released. The Palace has not issued fresh comment in response to Kellen's congressional testimony.
Camilla's Quiet Mission to Help London's Homeless
While Andrew's name dominated headlines, the Royal Family's official Instagram account offered a rather different image of palace life on Thursday, 11 June — sharing footage of Queen Camilla rolling up her sleeves for a cause close to her heart.
The Queen visited one of St Mungo's accommodation services in South East London to learn about a pioneering new programme exploring how reading can support the wellbeing and recovery of people experiencing homelessness. The charity at the centre of it all is The Queen's Reading Room — an initiative Camilla first set in motion during the pandemic.
The caption accompanying the Palace video described the project as one that "believes in the transformative power of books to make life better," adding that over the past eighteen months the charity has been partnering with St Mungo's to develop a programme designed to build confidence and social connection through reading.
For the outing, Camilla opted for a patterned summer dress in navy blue — understated, warm, and perfectly suited to a day spent listening rather than being seen.
Trooping the Colour on the Horizon
With the Buckingham Palace balcony set to take centre stage again at Trooping the Colour 2026, the Royal Family will be hoping the iconic image of the Firm united on that famous ledge helps reset the narrative. The annual celebration of the sovereign's official birthday remains one of the most-watched moments in the royal calendar, drawing crowds to The Mall and millions more to their television screens — and, for a family never far from scrutiny, it offers a rare moment of choreographed unity.
For now, though, the Palace finds itself juggling two very different stories: one about a queen quietly championing some of society's most vulnerable people, and another — far harder to manage — that keeps pulling a disgraced former prince back into view.
