Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., on Tuesday criticized the British royal family over reported restrictions given to lawmakers ahead of King Charles III's address to Congress, invoking controversy tied to the monarchy's past associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking to reporters prior to the king's speech, Boebert said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., distributed a "list of do's and don'ts" to members the night before.
That list included, "No selfies, no touching, no hugging, [and] no conversations" with Charles, she said.
"It really sounds like a list of don'ts for the royal family with victims more than members of Congress," Boebert said. "So sounds like everything that his family's already done."
The remarks came as some lawmakers renewed scrutiny of the British monarchy's handling of the Epstein scandal, particularly regarding the king's brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., had urged Charles to meet with alleged victims of Epstein during his U.S. visit, and several of those women were present on Capitol Hill Tuesday as part of a broader push for accountability.
The issue has remained a flash point for the royal family following years of allegations surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor's relationship with Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The former prince has denied wrongdoing, but the controversy escalated in recent years, culminating in his removal from royal duties and titles and a criminal investigation in the United Kingdom.
In February 2026, Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office tied to his Epstein connections, marking an unprecedented development involving a senior member of the royal family.
The renewed attention has cast a shadow over Charles' first official visit to the United States as monarch, even as Buckingham Palace has sought to distance the king from the scandal.
Charles delivered a roughly 30-minute address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, becoming only the second British monarch to do so after Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.
In his speech, the king emphasized the enduring alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom amid global instability.
"The challenges we face are too great for any one nation to bear alone," Charles said. "But in this unpredictable environment, our alliance cannot rest on past achievements or assume that foundational principles simply endure."
While the king did not directly reference Epstein or his accusers, he made broader remarks about supporting victims and upholding democratic values, which palace officials indicated were intended to acknowledge those concerns indirectly.
The address was part of a four-day state visit marking the 250th anniversary of American independence and aimed at reinforcing transatlantic ties during a period of geopolitical tension.
Despite bipartisan applause for the speech, the controversy surrounding Epstein and the royal family continued to reverberate on Capitol Hill, with Boebert's remarks underscoring the political sensitivities accompanying the visit.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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