Andrew’s pal: It’s no wonder he can’t recall all the women … it was wild
HE INSISTED to the world in his infamous BBC interview that he had no recollection of meeting Virginia Roberts despite that photograph of them together.
And now one of Prince Andrew’s most steadfast friends has suggested an extraordinary defence of the Duke’s claim – saying that they were having such a wild time with party girls at that time that it would be no surprise if he’d forgotten them.
Michael Wynne-Parker, the 76year-old author and businessman, has told me of the pair’s uninhibited nights out together during the period when Virginia Roberts, now Giuffre, claims she was forced to have sex with the Prince while aged 17 after being groomed by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
He says: ‘In those days we were having almost nightly parties in Tramp or whatever. We were going to these clubs and there would be 20 beautiful girls.
‘Have a dance with this one, have a dance with that one. And then you’d end up in bed with that one.
‘I’m sorry to say you might not even remember that person – you know, even five years later.’
It was this merry-go-round of promiscuity, argues Wynne-Parker, that explains why Andrew, 62, was unable to recall Giuffre – with whom he has now reached an out-of-court financial settlement while making no admission of liability. Wynne-Parker adds: ‘Even if he had met her all those years ago, it’s very possible he completely forgot. We were living in wild times in those days. Wild times.’ On one critical point, Wynne-Parker believes Andrew is innocent. ‘Never once did I even see anyone underage. They were all in their early to mid-30s.’
As for Andrew’s claims in his TV interview that he could not sweat, he says: ‘I don’t know why he brought that up. He must regret that.’
Wynne-Parker says Andrew might have spared his family and himself much trauma had it not been for his biggest flaw – ‘being pompous’.
‘I remember the first time I introduced him at a reception years and years ago and by accident I tapped him on the shoulder. He whispered, “Remember, Michael, who I am, you’re not supposed to touch me.” ’
The Duke of York declined to comment.