Prince William faced a shouted question about the Epstein scandal involving his uncle Andrew during a visit to a girls' football training session in Saudi Arabia. The Prince of Wales, on the second day of a diplomatically sensitive trip, did not respond to the query from a reporter, and it was unclear if he heard it.
The question came shortly after Kensington Palace issued a statement expressing the Prince and Princess of Wales's “deep concern” at the continuing distressing allegations concerning Andrew’s relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, adding that their thoughts were with the victims. Hours later, the King also made clear his “profound concern” and said Buckingham Palace would stand ready to support Thames Valley Police if approached.
During the visit to MISK Sports City in Riyadh, William joined young female footballers aged 10-15 for training drills. He took part in a crossbar challenge but instead scored three goals. “This is my first time in Saudi Arabia,” he told the girls. “Good luck with the football, keep practising and we’ll see you in the World Cup.”
When asked if Princess Kate had accompanied him, William said she had not, prompting a disappointed “Oh!” from the girls. He added that his children love football and that the girls were “another level”. They presented him with a Saudi national shirt and smaller versions for George, Charlotte and Louis, with their names on the back.
William was accompanied by Saudi minister of sport Prince Abdulaziz and Lamia Bahaian, Vice President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. Lamia, who began playing football aged five, spoke about women’s football development in Saudi Arabia, noting that women have been allowed to attend games since 2017 and physical education was added to girls’ school curricula that year. “Football is evolving massively,” she said, expressing hope that Saudi women could compete with the Lionesses in the future.
