Prince Andrew will not attend a state dinner being hosted by King Charles for U.S. President Donald Trump during the president’s two-day visit to the United Kingdom beginning Sept. 16, two people familiar with the arrangements told Page Six.
The decision reflects Andrew’s status as a non‑working royal and comes amid renewed scrutiny of his past association with convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein and pressure from some U.S. lawmakers calling for criminal investigation. Senior working royals, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, are expected to attend the dinner, sources said.
The arrangement marks a clear break with the 2019 state visit by then‑President Trump, when Andrew met the president and participated in business meetings, according to archived coverage of that trip. Andrew was removed from royal duties and stripped of military titles after public controversy over his relationship with Epstein and with Ghislaine Maxwell, who was later convicted in the United States on sex‑offence charges.
Page Six reported that Andrew settled a civil lawsuit in 2022 with Virginia Giuffre, a longtime Epstein accuser, and made a donation to a victims’ rights organisation as part of that settlement. Giuffre died by suicide in April, according to reporting. Andrew has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has said he did not engage in the conduct alleged by accusers; a widely circulated photograph of him with Giuffre has been part of public coverage of the matter.
The episode has become a new potential embarrassment for the monarch as he prepares to host an unprecedented second state visit by a sitting U.S. president. Buckingham Palace is under renovation and the official state engagements are due to be held at Windsor Castle, the sources said.
The issue has also prompted calls for further legal action in the United States. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace on social media urged prosecutors to pursue charges, writing that "Now seems like a good time to discuss prosecuting Prince Andrew for any and all potential crimes on US soil," and adding a separate post saying a prison cell and him "in handcuffs" would "send the right message," according to Page Six. Andrew did not immediately respond to requests for comment through the media outlet.
U.S. and British officials have been navigating optics around the visit as they seek to preserve the long‑standing special relationship between the two countries. Well‑placed royal sources told Page Six that Andrew’s exclusion from official events should not damage diplomatic ties because he is no longer a working member of the royal family. Peter Mandelson, Britain’s ambassador to the United States, in a speech at the Ditchley Foundation described President Trump as a "risk‑taker" and emphasised the value of pragmatic engagement with the United States, according to accounts of the speech.
Royal protocol typically governs invitations to state functions, and former senior working royals who have stepped back from public duties are customarily not extended official invites. Multiple unnamed sources told Page Six that Andrew is unlikely to travel to the United States again because of concerns about potential arrest or prosecution there.
The planned state visit also includes broader efforts to reinforce ties: the British Foreign Office has discussed sending senior royals to U.S. events next year, including participation by the Prince and Princess of Wales in Washington for the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations, with King Charles possibly attending depending on his health, the outlet reported.
The conversations around Andrew’s exclusion come as advocates and some victims of Epstein have urged further transparency from U.S. authorities. Page Six reported that the FBI said it would not release further material from files on Epstein, a decision that has prompted protest from victims and advocates.
The palace has not issued a detailed guest list for all events around the state visit. Officials typically release final protocols and attending delegations closer to arrival dates; the decision to locate the state banquet at Windsor rather than Buckingham Palace reflects ongoing refurbishment at the London residence.
The state visit will be watched for its diplomatic and symbolic significance as well as for how organisers manage high‑profile sensitivities tied to members of the extended royal family.
