Royal family makes statement on Prince Edward's visit where he addressed Epstein files

The Duke of Edinburgh visited the United Arab Emirates to celebrate non-formal education and the opportunities it creates for young people, said a statement issued by the royal family on Friday.

"His Royal Highness met students taking part in the @international_award and watched them showcase the skills they’re developing through the programme," the statement said.

It added, "With nearly 100 schools across the UAE offering the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, it was fantastic to meet young people embracing new challenges.

The royal family said the Duke also attended the World Governments Summit to discuss non-formal education pathways, referring to the event where he also commented on Epstein files in response to a question.

However, it did not mention Edward's remarks.

"Well, with the best will in the world. I'm not sure this is the audience that is probably the least interested in that. They all came here to listen to education, solving the future, but no, I think it's all really important always to remember the victims and who are the victims in all this," said the youngest brother of King Charles III and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

New files related to Epstein published by the US Justice Department last week included emails that showed King Charles's brother maintaining regular contact with Epstein for more than two years after he was found guilty of child sex crimes.

The files also include pictures appearing to show Andrew crouching over and touching the waist of an unidentified woman lying on the floor. Her face was blacked out in the redacted images.