“New facts meant the need for a new response” – that is how one palace source described this latest statement and why it was issued now. The timing was still extraordinary. Do not underestimate how significant it is that it was released just a matter of hours after Prince William had landed in Saudi Arabia. Usually there’s an unwritten rule that nothing should ever overshadow an important diplomatic visit like this. Image: Prince William with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia. Pic: Reuters But there was a sense in the palace that something had shifted over the weekend in terms of the allegations against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor – and no response wasn’t an option. No one is trying to diminish the sexual claims that have emerged, which Andrew has denied. The Royal Family has repeatedly said we must think of Epstein’s victims. Image: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor rides a horse in Windsor Great Park. Pic: Reuters However, the claims that he may have been sharing information with Epstein – information he gained in his official capacity …