Epstein files could not have come at a worse time for Prince Andrew

In many ways, this could not have come at a worse time for the Prince Andrew.

‌There he was, strolling to church on Christmas Day, back in the bosom of his family. Not only had he been publicly welcomed back into the fold but his former wife Sarah, the Duchess of York, with whom he still lives, was also invited to join the annual show of family unity for the first time since 1992.

Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew

‌While most observers noted the presence of a visibly delighted Fergie, Prince Andrew barely got a mention – and this, after years of hugely damaging headlines concerning his ill-advised relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual abuse, was progress.

‌It was not so long ago that Andrew was banished from outings as the Royal family moved into damage limitation mode.‌

But the King’s inclusion of his younger brother, not just in the traditional Christmas outings at Sandringham but also resplendent in his Garter robes at Charles’s Coronation in May, have been interpreted as a public sign of his loyalty.

Prince Andrew, right, and Prince Edward, leave the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church.Credit: Getty

‌The salacious and sordid tales of sex abuse and underage orgies that have long accompanied Andrew’s name will never disappear, but they had dissipated. Andrew, a man hugely proud of his status as “Prince of the Blood”, has worked hard on keeping a low profile.

‌It has not been easy. Having settled his case with accuser Virginia Giuffre out of court, with no admission of wrongdoing, in early 2022, he could not understand why the status quo was not immediately resumed.

‌He agitated for a return to public duties, bending the ear of his mother, Elizabeth II, for months. But in the end he was forced to accept the advice of his aides – keep your head down and do nothing to garner public attention, good or bad.

Against his own wishes, he has heeded such guidance and remained under the radar.

The strategy was starting to pay off. But the release of court documents this week only serves as a reminder of the seedy accusations levelled against him.

‌Back in the headlines are the details of the three occasions on which he is alleged to have forced Giuffre to sleep with him, including once at Epstein’s private Caribbean island, “in an orgy with numerous other underaged girls”.

‌Elsewhere in court papers, another of Epstein’s victims, Johanna Sjoberg, alleges that Andrew had touched her breast while they were posing for a photograph.

‌The fact that his name is mentioned 69 times throughout the 900-plus pages of documents points to the nature of his relationship with Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

Prince Andrew with Virginia Roberts Giuffre (centre) in 2001 and Epstein’s then personal assistant Ghislaine Maxwell.

‌While there appear to be no new allegations about Andrew, the coverage will make for uncomfortable reading at Buckingham Palace, which had hoped a line had been drawn under the entire sorry affair.

His name is once again in the spotlight alongside a host of undesirable headlines, among them the claim that Bill Clinton, the former US president, “likes them young”.

‌Meanwhile, Maxwell names Clinton and Andrew in a 2015 email to her lawyers in which she expresses concern about facing “more questions” about them.‌ She admits she feels “out of her depth” about the lawsuits against her and fears a “US legal nightmare”.

‌In another document, lawyers for Giuffre describe Clinton as a “key person who can provide information about his close relationship” with Maxwell and Epstein.

Andrew’s small but loyal band of supporters will dismiss the latest developments as simply nothing new.‌ They believe his links with Epstein were jumped upon and used as a welcome distraction by others with much more to hide.‌

But even if they reveal nothing new, the regurgitation of well-worn allegations concerning Andrew will never make for pleasant reading at Royal Lodge, his Windsor home.

Or at 800-plus kilometres away on the Balmoral estate, where the King is fervently hoping for an uneventful start to the year.

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