Donald Trump Accused of 'Betraying' King Charles Over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's Jeffrey Epstein Disgrace 

Donald Trump is at the center of an extraordinary row over claims he privately promised King Charles quiet support for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor while publicly distancing himself from the disgraced royal – a move insiders now describe as a "betrayal" as the former prince braces for the most explosive release of U.S. Epstein files to date.

The controversy comes as Andrew, 65, confronts a looming cache of surveillance logs, interview transcripts and decades of flight records linked to Jeffrey Epstein, held across multiple American agencies and expected to be published before Christmas. The documents, senior officials say, will carry "zero protection" for any figure implicated, regardless of status or political connections.

A Washington political source said: "Trump gave private assurances that Andrew wouldn't be thrown to Congress, then turned around and backed off the moment it suited him. It's a total betrayal."

"Charles is said to feel blindsided – he thought he had a gentleman's agreement," the insider added.

During Trump's unprecedented second state visit to Windsor Castle in September, both he and Charles were facing acute scrutiny over past connections to Epstein. Sources familiar with those discussions say the pair struck what one labeled a "dirty double deal" – royal public support for Trump in exchange for informal political shielding for Andrew.

But as congressional pressure intensifying and the White House seeking distance from anything Epstein-related, Trump is now said to have abandoned the understanding.

A senior U.S. official briefed on the preparations for the release of the files said: "This isn't Britain – there's no royal carve-out here. If these records show criminal behavior, all the weight of the US will be put on Andrew. Any promises made to the King carry no legal standing."

Another political insider said: "He won't get a pass. Protecting Andrew isn't on the agenda. The files will come out and Andrew's name won't be redacted."

The most sensitive material is expected to sit within the previously unseen flight logs of Epstein's chief pilot, Larry Visoski, covering around 1,000 journeys across New York, Florida, New Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A legal source said: "These logs could show Windsor on Epstein-linked aircraft more often than currently known. They may also put new names into the public domain."

Inside the Department of Justice, the fight over redactions is intensifying.

A DoJ source said: "We can withhold material for security or witness protection. What we cannot do is hide details just to avoid embarrassment – royal or not."

Windsor has already ignored a formal request from the House Oversight Committee to testify about his ties to Epstein. The committee's resolution demanding full publication of all files passed Congress by 427-1 and has since been signed into law.

Meanwhile, pressure on the monarchy has mounted after U.K. prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said at the G20 in South Africa: "Anybody who has got relevant information in relation to these cases should give evidence."

Trump has insisted public sympathy for the royals is warranted over the Epstein scandal fallout.

"I feel very badly," he said of Windsor's circumstances. "It's a terrible thing that's happened to the family."

But some inside Buckingham Palace fear Trump's retreat from The Firm in backing Andrew against new Epstein revelations is deliberate.

One royal source said: "Charles thought Trump would stand firm. Instead, he's walked away at the moment Andrew needed protection most."