(Sussex) on Monday, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, former Prince and Duke of York, caused mild outcry in a speech to private individuals during a speaking tour. “I’m reminded of a certain poem,” he began his closing remarks, “and I’m paraphrasing of course - but first they came for the pedophiles, and I’m sure we know how that turned out.” A storm of social media followed, and despite claims the statement is being taken out of context, an apology was made, and the tour has been suspended.

While that would typically close the argument, the former prince has found an ally in the White House, with the US president reviving the topic and declaring Mountbatten-Windsor “the best prince that ever lived, even better than Prince at certain things,” which strained already tense relations with the UK. Trump continued, “the US was extremely young when they were with England, and that worked out okay… I don’t know what all the fuss is about.”

“The president is only expressing admiration for a dear friend and foreign leader,” said Karoline Leavitt, the US Press Secretary whose husband was 32 when she was born. “The president knows the only real predator in the room is the mainstream media and its underage lies.”

But even republican politicians express alarm at the new comments. One republican congressman, who asked he not be identified as we were within 1,000 feet of a middle school, said “there are some third rail topics you never admit to touching, and underage girls is one of them. We’ve all been to Epstein’s Island… metaphorically. I’m saying metaphorically we’ve all been there. But you can’t say it and be elected.”

The King has not issued a formal response, but those inside British intelligence circles say that several SAS operatives have been withdrawn from training in Bryan, Texas for training near Sussex.