Duke of York: I had no call to suspect Epstein
THE Duke of York has broken his silence over his involvement with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying he never had any suspicions about his behaviour or saw him do anything illegal.
The Duke, through a signed statement issued by Buckingham Palace, stated “at no stage during the limited time I spent with [the disgraced financier] did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction”.
In the statement, the Duke said: “It is apparent to me since the suicide of Mr Epstein that there has been an immense amount of media speculation about so much in his life. This is particularly the case in relation to my former association or friendship with Mr Epstein.
“Therefore I am eager to clarify the facts to avoid further speculation. I met Mr Epstein in 1999. During the time I knew him, I saw him infrequently and probably no more than only once or twice a year. I have stayed in a number of his residences.”
The Duke, who was photographed in 2010 walking with Epstein in Central Park, New York – two years after the financier pleaded guilty to procuring an underage girl for prostitution – added: “I have said previously that it was a mistake and an error to see him after his release in 2010 and I can only reiterate my regret … given what we now know. I have tremendous sympathy for all those affected by his actions and behaviour. His suicide has left many unanswered questions and I acknowledge and sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure.”
He continued: “I am at a loss to be
able to understand or explain Mr Epstein’s lifestyle. I deplore the exploitation of any human being and would not condone, participate in, or encourage any such behaviour.”
The Duke was also filmed at the door of Epstein’s home in New York, waving goodbye to a woman now identified as Katherine Keating, daughter of the former Australian prime minister.
There are likely to be more calls for the Duke to give his version of events to US authorities investigating Epstein following his suicide earlier this month.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that the Duke has told friends he has no recollection of ever meeting Virginia Roberts, now Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accuses him of having sex with her when she was just 17. He was photographed with his arm around the waist of Ms Roberts at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell in 2001.
Allegations made in court papers released in the US suggested the Duke had flown a number of times with Ms Roberts on Epstein’s private jet but some of the dates are demonstrably false because at the time the Duke was on royal business in Britain.
A source close to the Duke says it is impossible for him to disprove if he ever took a flight with Ms Roberts on other occasions because he simply did not remember her.
The friend said: “The Duke has been on thousands of flights and he has no recollection of Virginia Roberts.”
The Duke of York is said to have told friends he may never be able to return to the US for fear of being drawn into civil proceedings brought by some of Epstein’s victims.
Since Epstein’s arrest, attempts by the Duke to distance himself from his former friend have been undermined by the emergence of details of how he hosted the disgraced financier at Balmoral and by pictures of him at Epstein’s New York mansion in 2010.
Sources have said the Duke has put on hold plans to launch a business venture in the US.