“Their Majesties’ thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse,” the palace said

King Charles has issued a major statement regarding his brother, the former Prince Andrew.

Amid the news that the Thames Valley Police is investigating a complaint alleging that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential information related to his role as a trade envoy with Jeffrey Epstein, Buckingham Palace shared an announcement vowing to cooperate with law enforcement. The new statement also addressed the King’s brother’s “conduct” for the first time since Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, appeared numerous times in the latest Epstein files released by the Department of Justice.

“The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct,” the palace said in the statement on Feb. 9.

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“While the specific claims in question are for Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley Police, we stand ready to support them as you would expect,” the palace continued.

“As was previously stated, Their Majesties’ thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse,” they concluded.

King Charles; the former Prince Andrew; Jeffrey Epstein.Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; Rick Friedman/Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis via Getty

In the Oct. 30 palace statement that revealed that King Charles, 77, was stripping his 65-year-old brother’s royal titles and honors, it was said that the monarch and Queen Camilla “wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”

The shocking move came amid renewed criticism surrounding Andrew’s ties to Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. Andrew has denied any wrongdoing and has not responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment about the latest files.

The Buckingham Palace statement comes hours after Kate Middleton and Prince William showed their support for the victims of Epstein. A spokesperson for the Prince and Princess of Wales said from Saudi Arabia, where William began an official royal visit on Monday, said, “I can confirm the Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”

Despite multiple instances of reporters and members of the public questioning the royals about Andrew and his ties to Epstein in recent days, Prince Edward became the first member of the British royal family to address the issue on Feb. 3. On stage with CNN’s Eleni Giokos at the the World Governments Summit in Dubai, the King and Andrew’s youngest brother said, “It’s really important to remember the victims. And who are the victims in all this? A lot of victims in all this.”

Andrew stepped back from his public royal role in 2019 following his headline-making BBC interview in which he discussed his relationship with Epstein. Queen Elizabeth stripped her second son of his military titles and patronages in January 2022, after a judge rejected his attempt to have Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault lawsuit against him dismissed. Andrew has repeatedly denied Giuffre’s allegations and reached a settlement with her in 2022.