NewsBite

Prince Andrew gives extraordinary interview over Jeffrey Epstein saga

Prince Andrew’s attempt to explain his bizarre friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has raised more questions than answers.

Jacquelin MagnayJacquelin Magnay
@jacquelinmagnay
5 min read
9:51AMNovember 17, 2019.
Updated 1:12PMNovember 25, 2019
Print
Prince Andrew concedes to staying at Epstein's home

Prince Andrew has given a train wreck interview that has raised more questions than answers about his bizarre friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations he met alleged sex slave Virginia Giuffre.

Andrew claims that he could not have seen Ms Giuffre on March 10, 2001 - one of three times she has sworn in legal testimony that she had sex with Andrew - because he was at Pizza Express with Princess Beatrice.

She claimed Andrew was sweating and had bought her a drink at the Tramp nightclub before returning to the Belgravia home of Epstein’s girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

Ms Giuffre has sworn that she and Andrew then had a bath and sex, and that Epstein took a photograph of them because she wanted to send her mother a picture of herself with the prince. She said other sexual activity with Andrew took place in the United States and during an orgy of seven or eight girls on Epstein’s private island in the Virgin Islands.

But Andrew repeatedly said he had no recollection of ever meeting Ms Giuffre.

‘’‘I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever,’ Andrew said.

Later in the interview he said : “I can tell you categorically I don’t remember meeting her, I do not remember the photo being taken, and I have said consistently and frequently, we never had any sort of sexual contact whatsoever.’’

Ms Giuffre was 17 and known as Virginia Roberts when she claims to have met with Andrew as Epstein’s sex slave. Now 36 and living in Queensland, she re-tweeted a Tweet on Saturday: “To have to watch this weasel attempt to wiggle free from the claws of justice, is absolutely abhorrent.”

A lawyer acting for several of Epstein’s victims Gloria Allred said anyone accused of a crime “prince or pauper’’ should be examined in court.

“Rather than just going on television he would be well served to just say I’m willing to take the oath and appear at a deposition.”

Andrew said he would give sworn testimony only if that was advised by his legal team.

Palace aides were hoping that a rare television interview would help restore Andrew’s reputation, which has nosedived since the extent of the Epstein scandal - involving pimping young under age girls for sex with himself and rich associates - was revealed late last year. Epstein committed suicide ahead of a legal case where he faced 45 years in jail, however his victims are pursuing litigation in the United States.

Andrew said he let the Queen and the Royal Family down by becoming involved with Epstein, and by continuing the friendship after the pedophile billionaire’s 2008 conviction.

The interview was aired on Saturday evening in the UK, and conducted by BBC journalist Emily Maitlis.

While Andrew has a clear memory of the pizza occasion with his daughter at a birthday party in Woking, a town outside of London, Andrew repeatedly claimed nothing happened in regards to Ms Giuffre.

“I was with the children and I’d taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at I suppose sort of 4 or 5 in the afternoon.

“And then because the Duchess was away, we have a simple rule in the family that when one is away the other one is there.

“I was on terminal leave at the time from the Royal Navy so therefore I was at home.’

When asked why he could remember that evening, yet not anything about Ms Giuffre, Andrew said: “Because going to Pizza Express in Woking is an unusual thing for me to do, a very unusual thing for me to do.

“I’ve only been to Woking a couple of times and I remember it weirdly distinctly.”

Andrew said he had never brought a drink in the nightclub, doesn’t sweat because of a trauma being shot at while serving in the Royal Navy and suggested that the photograph of the two of them together was doctored.

The duke, who joined the Royal Navy in 1979, said he “probably did” trust Epstein and added: “I mean I don’t go into a friendship looking for the wrong thing, if you understand what I mean.

“I’m an engaging person, I want to be able to engage, I want to find out, I want to learn and so you have to remember that I was transitioning out of the Navy at the time and in the transition I wanted to find out more about what was going on because in the Navy it’s a pretty isolated business because you’re out at sea the whole time and I was going to become the special representative for international trade and investment.”

Andrew says it was him in the photo but he insisted he is wearing clothes he would have on when away travelling, not the usual suit and tie he would wear in London and he says he has never been upstairs in Ms Maxwell’s house where the photo was taken.

“Nobody can prove whether that photo has been doctored: I don’t recollect that photo being taken,’’ Andrew said.

“I’m terribly sorry but if I, as a member of the royal family, and I have a photograph taken and I take very, very few photographs, I am not one to, as it were, hug and public displays of affection are not something that I do.

“So that’s the best explanation I can give you and I’m afraid to say that I don’t believe that photograph was taken in the way that has been suggested.’‘’

When he was asked why he maintained a friendship with Epstein when the New York financier had been released from jail for prostituting minors, Andrew said:“I stayed with him and that’s…that’s…that’s the bit that…that…that, as it were, I kick myself for on a daily basis.

“Because it was not something that was becoming of a member of the royal family and we try and uphold the highest standards and practices and I let the side down, simple as that.”

He said he invited Epstein to Princess Betrice’s 18th birthday party in 2006 unaware that authorities in the United States had begun investigating the financier for sexual assault.

But, he said, he ceased contact with Epstein when he became aware he was under investigation in 2006 and did not make any contact until 2010, when a photograph was taken of Andrew walking with Epstein in Central Park.

Andrew said it was during this walk he told Epstein he couldn’t continue their friendship.

During the interview it emerged that during that New York trip Andrew stayed at Epstein’s house for four days and they had a small dinner party for around eight guests.

Andrew also said his immediate family had known Epstein and the revelations of his under-age child trafficking, described by Andrew as ‘’unbecoming behaviour’’ had been a ‘’constant sore’’ and a ‘’gnaw’’.

More Coverage

Prince’s sensationally risky ‘Diana moment’
ROYA NIKKHAH
Read related topics:Royal Family
Jacquelin Magnay
Jacquelin MagnayEurope Correspondent

Jacquelin Magnay is the Europe Correspondent for The Australian, based in London and covering all manner of big stories across political, business, Royals and security issues. She is a George Munster and Walkley Award winning journalist with senior media roles in Australian and British newspapers. Before joining The Australian in 2013 she was the UK Telegraph’s Olympics Editor.

More related stories

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/prince-andrews-gives-extraordinary-interview-over-jeffrey-epstein-saga/news-story/3b6db1274ca906541190da18d4c8deb1