President Trump has said he feels “badly” for the royal family after Andrew Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his titles last week, following revelations about his friendship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One late on Sunday, the US president was asked about the King’s decision to remove the title of prince from his brother.

• Andrew stripped of prince title and will leave Royal Lodge

“It’s a terrible thing that’s happened to the [royal] family,” Trump said. “That’s been a tragic situation. It’s too bad. I feel badly for the family.”

Pressure is building on Andrew, 65, to give evidence before a powerful US congressional committee relating to what he knew about the actions of the paedophile financier, who died in prison six years ago.

Andrew continues to deny the allegations against him by the late Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was forced to have sex with him on three occasions after being trafficked by Epstein.

Members of Congress from both US parties are pushing for Andrew to testify as part of an investigation into Epstein’s activities by the House of Representatives’ oversight committee.

Andrew has always denied the allegations against him

MAX MUMBY/INDIGO/GETTY IMAGES

The committee has released flight logs showing Andrew travelled four times on Epstein’s private plane, nicknamed the “Lolita Express”. Documents also showed an individual identified as “Andrew” received several massages at a cost of $200 each, seemingly paid for by Epstein.

The committee does not have the legal power of subpoena to compel non-American citizens living abroad to attend, but can ask for a deposition to be conducted in their home country.

“Prince Andrew should step forward,” Marjorie Taylor Greene, an oversight committee member and Republican congresswoman, told Newsnight on October 21. “I would say to anyone that was a witness to what was going on, the best thing that they can do is to come forward and tell what they saw. This is so important for victims of rape and victims of human trafficking.”

Trump has dismissed the wider Epstein files as a “Democrat hoax” and come under political pressure himself in the US over his relationship with the disgraced financier. He had been friendly with Epstein during the 1990s and early 2000s.

• Trump: Epstein stole my spa staff, including Virginia Giuffre

An alleged doodle by Trump of a naked woman appeared in a 50th birthday book for Epstein that was released by Congress earlier this year. The White House has denied that Trump drew the image.

On Sunday, John Healey, the defence secretary, confirmed Andrew will be stripped of his honorary rank of vice-admiral.

Last week, Buckingham Palace announced that the King’s younger brother will be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and will surrender his lease on his Windsor home.