Queen’s ‘horrified’ reaction to Prince Andrew disaster revealed

The Queen remained publicly silent amid Prince Andrew’s defence of Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault allegations, but the late monarch’s private feelings have been exposed by royal insiders.

The Queen was “not keen” on the interview. Picture: AFP

The Queen, “horrified”, realised before Prince Andrew that his infamous BBC Newsnight interview to deny sexual assault allegations was a disaster, according to new details.

Emily Maitlis, the former BBC journalist who interviewed Prince Andrew, said the Duke was “very jolly” with the program, thinking it went quite well.

But he was summoned to the palace after the late Queen read the transcript shortly before the broadcast, Ms Maitlis told a new two-part Channel 4 documentary, The Problem Prince.

Prince Andrew was “euphoric” and “very jolly” immediately after his disastrous Newsnight interview. Picture: BBC

It wasn’t until he got a tap on the shoulder from the Queen that it became clear that it was, in fact, a disaster. Picture: BBC

“It was only on the Saturday when the Queen had reportedly read the whole transcript that he [Prince Andrew] received a tap on the shoulder by his security detail,” she said in the documentary.

“And they said, I think, ‘Sir, you might have to come with us’. It was after the Queen had seen what the interview contained that I think it dawned on her before it dawned on him.”

Prince Andrew was removed from official royal duties in the days after the catastrophic 2019 interview, in which he vehemently denied having met Australian-based accuser Virginia Giuffre at the home of Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving time for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse.

During the interview, Prince Andrew said that during the dates of the allegations he was having pizza with his daughter, and that he couldn’t have been at a club sweating because an injury prevented him from sweating.

Royal biographer Angela Levin said the unmitigated disaster if Prince Andrew had listened to the Queen and his daughter, Princess Beatrice, who both tried to talk him out of the televised appearance.

“[Beatrice] really tried to persuade him not to do it. She didn’t think it would benefit him in any way. He didn’t listen to her – he loves her dearly, but he didn’t listen,” Ms Levin said.

“The Queen was in Beatrice’s camp,” she said, adding the Queen “wasn’t keen” on the idea and didn’t see what he’d said until after the interview.

The Queen was “not keen” on the interview. Picture: AFP

“Although she might have been horrified, I think it was going to be very, very difficult to stop it because that would create more publicity,” Ms Levin said.

“She wouldn’t have lost her temper. I don’t think she’s done that with Andrew at all.”

Newsnight’s guest booker, Sam McAlister, described in the documentary that the BBC secured the interview after Prince Andrew sought permission from the Queen, according to the UK Telegraph.

Prince Andrew’s friend, Paul Tweed, added he warned the Duke’s then-chief of staff, Amanda Thinks, that the interview was a “bad idea” two days before it took place but that she “abruptly” hung up.

“At the back of my mind I thought: ‘Somebody’s going to stop this’,” he said.

The interview went ahead despite advice from friends and family. Picture: BBC

After the interview, Ms Maitlis said Prince Andrew was “euphoric” despite it being so disastrous they feared palace staff would have cut it short at any moment.

“I was terrified about everything. I was terrified he wouldn’t want to talk about any of the things we discussed,” she said.

“I kept on watching him thinking, he’s going to retract some of this, he’s going to pull some of it back.

“We had got an interview the likes of which had never been seen before,” Ms Maitlis said.

Originally published as Queen’s ‘horrified’ reaction to Prince Andrew disaster revealed