PRINCE ANDREW’S INTERVIEW UNCUT

The tough line of questioning had the royal squirming in his seat

Prince Andrew’s interview with respected BBC journalist Emily Maitlis was labeled a car crash – but what went on behind the scenes was even worse. Before the cameras rolled, an insider tells Woman’s Day the royal was “shaking uncontrollably and was white as a sheet”. At one point a makeup artist scrambled to add colour to his face between takes.

“His [media] adviser was panicking, telling people it looked like Andrew had seen a ghost”.

And it didn’t improve for the royal or his embattled PR team once Emily began her polite but ruthless line of questioning Andrew over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. At one point, he said, “Do I regret that he has obviously conducted himself in a matter unbecoming? Yes.”

Emily, 49, incredulously responded: “Unbecoming? He was a sex offender.”

LACK OF SYMPATHY

The British media were quick to point out Andrew never once expressed sympathy for his late friend’s many victims.

“Both his lawyers and media adviser were visibly horrified by many of his answers and desperately tried to get the director to call a cut, including one instance where he said he stayed in Epstein’s New York home because royals couldn’t stay in hotels for security reasons – despite the statement being wholly untrue,” our source adds. “They re-filmed the scene to say it was a convenient place to stay, which was arguably even worse.

‘His lawyers and media advisers were horrified by many of his answers’

“At one point, [Andrew] asked the crew to stop filming and summoned his lawyer over to show him a timeline of events they’d discussed as he’d gotten confused about what he’d previously said and needed reminding, which sparked suspicion he was covering something up. After noticing raised eyebrows, [Andrew] insisted he got very nervous being put on the spot, and couldn’t think properly, hence needing his memory refreshed.”

It was supposed to be the happiest time of her life, but now her father’s disastrous interview has put Princess Beatrice’s upcoming wedding in serious jeopardy. The day after his TV appearance, the 31-year-old princess was spotted in London without the diamond sparkler presented to her by fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi earlier this year.

“Beatrice is beside herself,” a royal insider tells. “Not only is she concerned no one will come to the wedding for fear of being seen with her dad, but she’s actually worried Edo is going to distance himself, too.

“He’s a long-time friend of the Yorks and his family has stuck by hers through a lot of scandals, but this might be asking too much. The word is he’s incredibly embarrassed to be associated with Andrew at all.”