A former chaplain to the late Queen has said “now is the time for repentance” from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as the Epstein scandal continues to unfold.

In an interview with Premier Christian News, Rev Dr Gavin Ashenden said the scandal could have a wide-scale impact on the royal family and warned that the full extent of the damage is far from over.

He said: “It's still unravelling, but the answer is it’s potentially enormous. It's not just the royal family… we're beginning to be overwhelmed by the extent to which what Epstein did corrupt so many people and so many institutions.”

A poll for Sky News suggested an overwhelming majority of the public believes the King should encourage Andrew to speak to US authorities.

Buckingham Palace said the King stood ready to support police in the UK if they planned to investigate and has expressed “profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light”.

But Rev Ashenden said he believes “there isn't anything they can do".

"The king can offer his advice, but he's not the kind of king who can force someone to do anything," he said. "No one can force Andrew to go and incriminate himself in America."

He added that the former prince has shown “no sign of repentance”, embarrassment or shame, which he said could be a “real problem for Andrew”.

“We don’t know quite how much damage it will do the royal family. I’m sure it’s not over yet,” he added.

Prince Andrew was stripped of his royal titles in 2025 due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual abuse. The formal process began in October 2025, when King Charles III announced the removal of his brother's titles and residence from the Royal Lodge.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing.