Buckingham Palace statement: Prince Andrew ‘appalled’ by Epstein’s alleged crimes

Prince Andrew has broken his silence over his friend Jeffrey Epstein’s underage sex scandal.

Prince Andrew and Virginia Roberts at Ghislaine Maxwell’s townhouse in London in 2001, left, New York Post front pages when Virginia Roberts broke her silence, and, right, Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York says he is “appalled” by recent sex abuse and trafficking claims surrounding his late friend, disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.

And Buckingham Palace has added in an updated statement on behalf of Prince Andrew that suggestions he was involved in Epstein’s sordid underage sex ring are “abhorrent”.

“His Royal Highness deplores the exploitation of any human being and the suggestion he would condone, participate in or encourage any such behaviour is abhorrent,” the Palace’s updated statement said.

It followed the emergence of new footage showing Prince Andrew inside the convicted paedophile’s home in New York in 2010.

Reportedly shot in December of that year — when Epstein was already a registered sex offender — pictures released by The Mail on Sunday show Prince Andrew looking out from the door of the door of the Central park mansion, waving to a woman.

Prince Andrew is driven from Crathie Kirk Church following a service near Balmoral Castle on August 11, 2019. Picture: Duncan McGlynn/Getty

Andrew has been dogged by accusations of a lack of judgment about his links with Epstein.

The duke quit his role as UK trade envoy in 2011 after fallout from the Central Park photos.

Buckingham Palace has previously also denied any wrongdoing by the Duke of York.

A previous picture of Andrew, which is in Epstein court records, shows Andrew with his arm around the waist of Virginia Roberts Guiffre — another of Epstein’s accusers.

Buckingham Palace issued strong denials over claims from Roberts, who said she was forced to have underage sex with the duke.

She claimed in court papers in Florida that she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17, which is under the age of consent in the state.

Her allegations she had sex with Prince Andrew on three separate occasions were thrown out by a judge.

“Any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue,” said a Buckingham Palace spokesman.

“It is emphatically denied that The Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.”

Epstein committed suicide in jail more than a week ago while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Disgraced billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in jail awaiting trial. Picture: New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP