King Charles appears with Keir Starmer for first time since latest Epstein bombshells

King Charles made a joint appearance with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday evening for the first time since the latest tranche of bombshell Jeffrey Epstein files were released.

The King, who was joined by Queen Camilla, was seen mingling with guests, including TV personality and writer Coleen Rooney, during a reception about carers at Windsor Castle. The Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were also present.

In a printed message addressed to his guests, Charles praised the millions of carers looking after a loved one across the country, as well as the estimated 1.6 million people employed in the adult social care sector.

The message read: “My wife and I are delighted to welcome you here this evening as we celebrate and give thanks to those remarkable individuals who dedicate their lives to the care of others.

“Across the United Kingdom today, there are some five million people providing unpaid care to a loved one.

“That is one in every 10 adults who, alongside the demands of their own lives, have taken upon their shoulders the sacred and selfless responsibility of caring for another human being.

“Alongside these wonderfully altruistic individuals stand the estimated 1.6 million professionals who work in social care - the nurses, care workers, support staff and countless others who have chosen to make compassion their vocation.

“Together, these two great pillars of care - and those charities and organisations which support them - form the foundation upon which so many families and society itself depends.”

The Prime Minister said he wants to give UK carers “equal worth,” telling guests at St George’s Hall: ”I really wanted to come and say thank you, and also because I know first-hand that what carers do is incredible - it is skilled."

The PM mentioned his sister, who works in the sector, saying: "I've seen my sister at work - she works with adults with Down syndrome - and I couldn't do what she does.

“One of my missions, in a sense, is to give equal worth to those like carers who do jobs that I couldn't do as we give to politicians and those in positions of power.”

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Both Charles and Sir Keir have been dealing with the fallout from the Epstein scandal, with the King expressing “profound concern” on Monday at allegations that his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential reports from his role as the UK's trade envoy with sex offender Epstein.

Thames Valley Police previously confirmed it is assessing the claims.

The crisis also led to two departures from Downing Street, a call from the Scottish Labour leader for Sir Keir to resign, and to the scandal surrounding Lord Peter Mandelson's appointment as the UK ambassador to the US despite his relationship with Epstein being reignited.

During Wednesday’s reception in Windsor, broadcaster and TV presenter Kate Garraway spoke of her experience caring for her husband, the former lobbyist and political adviser Derek Draper.

Garraway's husband died at the age of 56 in January 2024 after suffering long-lasting symptoms from coronavirus.

Sir Ed Davey, whose 18-year-old son John has severe disabilities and is being helped at home by two carers, also attended the event.

There are 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK, with 29% providing more than 50 hours of care each week and women making up 59% of the unpaid carer population, according to the 2021 Census.