Prince’s links to Epstein now full-blown crisis for Palace
FROM his sunbed in Spain, Prince Andrew finally broke his silence following the jail cell suicide of his former friend Jeffrey Epstein.
The Duke of York, while on holiday with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson said he was “appalled” by the sex allegations against convicted paedophile Epstein.
In a statement from Buckingham Palace this week, courtiers appeared to claim Andrew was unaware of Epstein’s crimes despite him maintaining a friendship before and after he was jailed for child sex offences.
“The Duke of York has been appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged crimes,” the Palace said.
Recent? There is nothing new in the allegations surrounding Epstein that weren’t made at the very least four years ago when the Prince was forced to deny any wrongdoing then.
Nor has there been any new allegations against the Duke that were not aired in 2015.
The Royal has repeatedly and vehemently denied all allegations against him.
But his Spanish sunshine statement only came after what had been an embarrassment for Buckingham Palace turned into a full-scale crisis.
At the weekend, a video of Andrew inside Epstein’s ‘House of Horrors’ in New York emerged.
It showed him in 2010 waving goodbye to Katherine Keating, the daughter of former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating.
Just an hour before he was seen, Epstein himself was spotted leaving with a teen-looking blonde.
Now lawyers representing victims of the Wall Street financier want the Duke to give sworn testimony on “everything he knows”.
Attorney Brad Edwards, who represents several women, including Epstein ‘sex slave’ Virginia Giuffre, made the request.
“I look forward to coordinating a formal deposition where he will be allowed to tell us everything he knows,” he said.
“We would like to do this as soon as possible, at his convenience, and again, we are very appreciative of his willingness to help.”
Good luck with that.
Day by day, the evidence of Epstein’s sickening crimes mount up while the true extent of Andrew’s friendship with the paedophile grows ever more clear.
This was no brief acquaintance or passing friendship.
The two were close for more than a decade, holidaying together throughout the world and sharing dinners in each other’s homes.
Despite being told after Epstein’s release from prison in 2009 he should end their friendship, arrogant Andrew would not listen.
He allegedly became incensed at being told a registered sex offender was not good for the Royal Family to have in their midst.
The Duke of York is not like you or me, just an ordinary member of the public.
He is a father to two adult princesses and a senior royal who was made Britain’s special trade envoy on his retirement from the Royal Navy.
It was a post he still held in 2011 until a picture of him and Epstein strolling through Central Park emerged. Today Andrew remains Commander and honorary Vice-Admiral of the Royal Navy. These enormous privileges carry great duty, but they don’t seem to have had much effect on his behaviour.
Instead, he has earned a notoriety for a self-indulgent lifestyle that includes meetings with unsavoury Middle Eastern tyrants while flown around at the taxpayer’s expense.
His sense of self-importance and lack of selfawareness is a discredit to the Queen and risks grave harm to the Royal Family.
Lesser allegations would have seen anyone of us removed from our jobs, even quizzed by the police.
It is clear there are serious questions that need answers and it’s long overdue we heard them – not from some palace flunky, but from the man himself.
Prince Andrew has earned a notoriety for a self-indulgent lifestyle