Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ANDREW: I LET THE SIDE DOWN
Prince says he ‘kicks himself every day’ for friendship with paedo pal Epstein
PRINCE Andrew has spoken for the first time about being a pal of Jeffrey Epstein and the claims he romped with a teenager.
He said he “kicks himself every day” but denied sleeping with Virginia Roberts. He told the BBC’S Emily Maitlis: “I’ve let the side down.”
PRINCE Andrew has insisted he never met the woman who claims he slept with her when she was a teenager groomed by his paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein.
But in his first interview about the allegations, the 59-year-old admitted he kicks himself every day for staying friends with the billionaire after he was convicted of prostituting children.
BBC journalist Emily Maitlis grilled the prince over the claims made by Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of having sex with her three times when she was 17 in 2001, once in an orgy involving Epstein and eight girls.
His denial comes despite him being pictured with his accuser, who was then Virginia Roberts.
In the special broadcast of Prince Andrew & The Epstein Scandal: The Newsnight interview due to air tonight at 9pm on BBC Two, Maitlis says: “She says she met you in 2001, she says she dined with you, danced with you at Tramp Nightclub in London.
“She went on to have sex with you in a house in Belgravia belonging to Ghislaine Maxwell, your friend.”
The duke replies: “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.”
Pushed on whether he could remember her, he adds: “No.”
The presenter then asks Andrew why he stayed friends with Epstein after the banker’s conviction in 2008.
She says: “You stayed with him.” The prince gives a rambling, stuttering reply saying: “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 to uphold the highest standards and practices and I let the side
down, simple as that.” Two years after Epstein’s conviction, Prince Andrew was pictured walking with him through Central Park in New York and again at the disgraced financier’s home in 2011.
Palace courtiers last night were braced for a potential backlash over the interview, after months of issuing strong denials over the scandal.
A source said: “There is a sense of intense trepidation over this.”
Maitlis, who spoke to Andrew on Thursday, promised a “no holds barred” interview with “no questions vetted” by Buckingham Palace.
Royal sources confirmed the chat came after months of negotiations between the BBC and the Palace, on the condition it would be a “news interview” where the duke would not be given prior access to the questions.
The Queen gave her blessing for her son to go ahead with the interview at Buckingham Palace.
A senior Palace source said: “The statements made on the Duke of York’s behalf since 2011 have sought to address the questions raised on his relationship with Mr Epstein and the allegations by Ms Roberts. His Royal Highness felt it was time to reiterate those statements in a television interview answering those questions openly, clearly and publicly. As a senior member of the Royal
Family, the Duke of York supports a great many charities and initiatives. He does not wish unfounded allegations, nor a former association, to distract from his important work to support so many organisations.”
But lawyer Jack Scarola, who represents several of Epstein’s alleged victims, said: “I would love to see Prince Andrew submit to an interview under oath with the investigating authorities. Talking to the media doesn’t quite cut it.”
Virginia’s lawyers had sent a letter to the prince demanding he respond to her allegations under oath.
The prince has always denied any inappropriate behaviour or being aware of perverted acts by Epstein. Friends of his claim the photo of him and Virginia is “fake” because of the presence of “chubby fingers”.
The prince is understood to have decided to speak out amid pressure to co-operate with a US legal case investigating Epstein. He committed suicide this year in his New York prison cell where he was being held on more sex trafficking charges. The 66-year-old allegedly ran a sex ring of teenage girls.
It is claimed British socialite Maxwell, daughter of disgraced media tycoon Robert, introduced Andrew and Epstein, to each other.
The 57-year-old denies claims she groomed girls to be sexually abused by the banker and she has not been charged with any crime.
US prosecutors have vowed to pursue those who aided Epstein’s abuse. No arrests have been made but the FBI is said to be poised to bring charges on several of his inner circle.
It was not becoming of a member of the Royal Family. I let the side down ANDREW ON HIS CONTINUING FRIENDSHIP WITH PERVERT EPSTEIN