President Donald Trump said Sunday he felt "badly" for the UK royal family after King Charles III revoked his brother Andrew's title of prince over his scandalous ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"I feel very badly. I mean, it's a terrible thing that's happened to the family," Trump said when asked by an AFP reporter aboard Air Force One about the recent saga.

"That's been a tragic situation, and it's too bad. I mean, I feel badly for the family."

Trump maintains a good relationship with King Charles III, who stripped his younger brother of all titles and honors in an attempt to draw a line under one of the most serious scandals in the modern history of the British monarchy.

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The decision followed the posthumous publication of Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre's memoirs, in which she revealed further details of sexual abuse involving dozens of women and girls.

Andrew has been accused of forcing Giuffre, who was then a minor, into sexual activity, which he denies. The Australian took committed suicide at the age of 41 in April.

Epstein, who for years systematically abused minors, died in a New York jail in 2019 at the age of 66 in what officials ruled a suicide. His proven ties to powerful figures, including most notably Trump himself, have fuelled speculation ever since.

During his election campaign, the president promised the release of all Epstein-related files, but his administration's failure to do so has led to serious dissent from his base.

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