Andrew of England’s close relationship with pedophile millionaire Jeffrey Epstein is back in the news, putting the deposed prince in the spotlight in the recently aired documentary about the late Queen Elizabeth’s favorite son. When their friendship came to light, the Duke of York was among those involved in a turbulent sexual abuse conspiracy, though he tried (unsuccessfully) to deny any connection to it. Epstein took his own life in 2019 while awaiting his court date at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. With him, the opportunity to administer justice has at least partially died. In June 2022, Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for providing sex offender Epstein with minors. In addition, the legal case could be resumed against Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused Andrés of England of abusing her when she was a minor and with whom he struck an economic agreement to silence her. Now, in the new A&E documentary, a new statement points back to King Carlos III’s brother. there.
This Monday, August 21st, the first audiovisual project about Elizabeth II’s son, “The Secrets of Prince Andrew”, was broadcast. In addition, Netflix is preparing a film about him, Scoop, which is already in production. The axis around which both projects revolve is the controversial interview the Duke of York gave to British BBC television in November 2019. A quote that not only helped to dispel doubts about his relationship with Epstein and the resulting damage to British royalty, but only further angered public opinion. Admitting his mistake and that he was friends with a pedophile, he mistakenly dodged the most serious of allegations and tarnished his image to such an extent that days after the disastrous interview, the Queen ordered that he be banned from all public activities on behalf of the pedophile must become British monarchy. .
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“Every time the BBC and royalty meet, they sack someone,” explains Emily Maitlis, the journalist who interviewed him for the Newsnight show, in The Secrets of Prince Andrew. “I didn’t think it would be him,” he adds. After their conversation, which was recorded at Buckingham Palace, nothing was the same for Prince Andrew. His closest circle had advised him not to accept the interview, but he ignored it and went ahead with the project, knowing that one of the issues that would be raised would be that of Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims and whom she denounced to Andrew England for abusing her when she was only 17. He denied knowing the girl, claiming the story was completely false. After the recording, the interviewer now says, both the prince and his team seemed satisfied with the result. “Emily and the Newsnight crew have been instructed to remain at the Palace for the weekly movie night. They wanted to drink gin and tea,” explains Sheldon Lazarus, one of the documentary’s producers, in Variety. Offer the TV crew declined: “They were dying to leave as soon as possible. “They were aware that the bond they held in their hands was significant and extraordinary,” adds Lazarus, noting that the prince was invited to be a part of the documentary (which he declined).
The reality would be very different from what Andrés expected: his responses were so heavily criticized that two years after his release from royal duties, on orders from his mother, he lost his military and royal patronages by early 2022. Giuffre’s complaint went unanswered Trial after both reached an agreement in February 2022 in which he did not admit his guilt but did acknowledge she was a victim and she promised to stop her comments about Prince. But the one speaking in the documentary is her attorney, Sigrid McCawley, who defends that Giuffre was “forced” into sexual relations with the Duke of York and that it was not “voluntary.”
Andrew of England with Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell, a photo that contradicted the version of the prince who claimed not to know the young woman. US Department of Justice (PA/Cordon Press)
Over the years, the Windsors have remained untouched by this controversy – the only one to ever mention them was Prince Henry in his biographical book. But the four hours of documentary also show that the Duke of York even invited Epstein and his accomplice Maxwell to events and birthdays at the royal residences of Sandringham, Balmoral and Windsor, according to royal biographer Andrew Lownie. “[Andrés y Epstein] They became very close,” he says. “True best friends. There were seven different numbers for Andres in Epstein’s little black book. It contained the most intimate details of Andres’ life. Epstein said, “There’s only one person who likes sex more than I do, and that’s Andrés,” explains Lownie, who assures that there’s no doubt they’ve seen each other every month up to that point and that several members of the British royal family met Epstein. “The fact that he was a guest of Andrés at private events,” Dickie Arbiter, former Buckingham Palace press secretary, seems to justify in the documentary. “Andrés would have asked the Queen’s permission to invite him. The Queen would believe her children… and who ever heard of Epstein in the 1990s? … It’s almost as if Andres has fallen under his spell. [Epstein] It could offer exotic vacations. Could provide yachts. He could take care of girls,” adds Arbiter.
Epstein reached a controversial settlement in 2008 in which he pleaded guilty and was found guilty of soliciting a girl under 18 into prostitution. He served 13 months in prison and then returned to New York social life as if nothing had happened. Two years later, in 2010, the definitive images linking the pedophile to the Duke of York were released. It was reporter Annette Witheridge who got the news that Prince Andrew was in New York. He asked for a photographer and went to Epstein’s mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. “During that time, young girls were going in and out every hour and a half. Two came in and one came out,” Witherdige recounts in the documentary. The next day, the two were photographed together in Central Park, forcing the prince to apologize and explain that he had broken off relations with him.
Although Elizabeth II maintained a discreet profile after renouncing her role within the British royal family, she continued to protect him under his protection. Some media outlets have even pointed out that it was the monarch who paid for part of her son’s arrangement with Giuffre. Today the story is very different. The Queen is no longer there and it is Carlos III who must face any controversy arising from the scandal. “[Carlos III] They cannot afford another sordid scandal of this magnitude at this critical time. “It would be catastrophic for the monarchy,” defends Christopher Andersen, author of The King, in the documentary. And he adds: “Thanks to his indulgent mother, Andrés is used to getting whatever he wants. He is a spoiled 63-year-old man and now Carlos has to take on the role of mediator.”
Left to right: King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and the Duke of Edinburgh Edward at the funeral of Elizabeth II, held in London on September 14, 2022.WPA Pool (Getty Images)
“The Secrets of Prince Andrew” provides new testimonies that once again unveil Prince Andrew’s connection to Epstein-led trafficking in women. Lisa Phillips, a model who claims to be one of the pedophile’s victims, shares her experience with the American millionaire. It was the year 2000 when she got a modeling job in Tortola and eventually visited Little Saint James, the Epstein estate nicknamed Pedophile Island. It was at a dinner with another group of models that Prince Andrew appeared. “I feel like my story began and ended with Prince Andrew,” Phillips explains. After being abused by Epstein, the young woman found out her friend was going through something similar. “Epstein asked her to go into the room with Prince Andrew. She did, walked into the room and had sex with him. I’m guessing it was consensual and not sexual assault. I don’t know how to define it, it was just traumatic. After that, she became a completely different person. His life was completely out of control,” he defended in the documentary. After that, Phillips severed all contact with the pedophile.