There was no reaction but we know Prince William and his team at least heard the shout, even if they didn’t hear the full question.
As William walked off a football pitch on the outskirts of Riyadh, where he is on an official visit, a reporter asked the prince: “Sir, to what extent do you think the Royal Family has done enough around the Andrew and Epstein issue?”
The palace is trying to keep this trip to Saudi on track, with no cancellations or obvious adjustments to engagements.
They want to remind us that William is used to navigating difficult times and takes his role seriously. If nothing else, they hope the heir and his family show the monarchy has got a positive future, at a time when they really need it, as they continue to compete against the seemingly uncontrollable noise around Andrew and Epstein.
It’s clear from the statements released on Monday that something has shifted over the past few days.
William and Kate publicly addressed the Epstein scandal for the first time, with Kensington Palace saying they were “deeply concerned” at the “continued revelations” and that their thoughts “remain focused on the victims”.
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace said the King had “profound concern” over claims about Andrew and it would support police if contacted.
Silence was not an option, with the questions about what information Andrew was sharing during his time as trade envoy going right to the heart of the Royal Family’s public purpose and what they’re meant to be about.
Andrew has denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
Neither William nor the King have spoken about it on camera – not really a surprise – and William wasn’t going to do it here in Saudi.
But it doesn’t help quell the voices of those who say they want to hear more from them – visible proof, you might say, of the “concerns” they have written about.
William will also no doubt have seen the calls for the King to encourage Andrew to voluntarily speak to the police and authorities in America. We know that even on official trips, he monitors the news back home.
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But here in Saudi there was a new global audience for him to think about – one that wasn’t going to ask him about Epstein.
William and Kate’s social media accounts feature a stream of photos of him meeting and greeting, and especially focusing on the time he spent with children and women.
For the palace, it was a day meant to be about important future relationships as headlines in the UK continue to dwell on the past.
