He previously agreed to stop using his HRH style and royal titles, though he had expected to retain his dukedom. Pressure intensified again after the release of the posthumous memoir of Virginia Giuffre—who died by suicide in April—in which she alleged he sexually assaulted her as a teenager, an accusation he denies.

Political Momentum to Release Epstein Files

Today’s deadline arrives just as US President Donald Trump urged House Republicans to vote in favour of releasing the Epstein files—an abrupt reversal from his earlier stance. On 15 November, he posted on Truth Social: “We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party.”

On 18 November, both the House of Representatives and the Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill requiring the Justice Department to publicly release “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative material” related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. The House passed the bill 427–1, with Republican Clay Higgins casting the lone “no” vote.

Trump has now signed the measure into law.

What Happens Next

Under the legislation, the Justice Department must disclose all relevant files—including materials related to the investigation into Epstein’s death in federal custody—within 30 days. That places the expected release around 19 December at the latest, though documents could be made public sooner.

As the deadline for Andrew’s response lands on the same day, pressure on the former royal continues to grow—both from Congress and from a political landscape now suddenly aligned on releasing every remaining Epstein-related record.