He’s speaking out. Prince Andrew came under fire for his friendship with the late, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and their relationship eventually led to the British royal to become entangled in shocking allegations. During his interview with Emily Maitlis, during a BBC special titled “Andrew & the Epstein Scandal,” Prince Andrew finally addressed the allegations against him.

Prince Andrew, 59, was previously accused of sleeping with Virginia Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, at Tramp Nightclub in London in 2001 when she was just 17 years old. Giuffre is one of the 16 women who claim they were sex trafficked by Epstein. The Duke of York denied Giuffre’s claims.

Prince Andrew to Break His Silence on Friendship With Jeffrey Epstein
News Licensing / MEGA

He said he had “no recollection” of the night in question, and that there were “a number of things” wrong with the story during the special, which aired on Saturday, November 16. “On that particular day, that we now understand is the date which is the 10th of March, I was at home,” the duke said. “I was with the children and I’d taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at I suppose, sort of, four or five in the afternoon. And then because the duchess [of York] was away, we have a simple rule in the family that when one is away, the other one is there.”

He also denied part of Giuffre’s claim, that he was “profusely sweating” the night of the alleged sexual encounter.  “I have a peculiar medical condition which is that I don’t sweat or I didn’t sweat at the time,” Andrew claimed. “I didn’t sweat at the time because I had suffered what I would describe as an overdose of adrenaline in the Falklands War when I was shot at and I simply … it was almost impossible for me to sweat.”

Epstein Outspent Outmaneuvered Opponents Sweetheart Deal
AP/Shutterstock

Prince Andrew was specifically named in court papers as part of a civil case against Epstein led by Giuffre in 2015. “When I walked in, Andrew and Jeffrey were seated in chairs,” Giuffre claimed in court statements quoted on the “Epstein: Devil In Darkness” podcast. “Me and the girls started undressing. Jeffrey directed us with hand gestures because the Russian girls didn’t speak English. We were told to start kissing and touching and to use sex toys on each other … Jeffrey and the prince were laughing.”

He also addressed an alleged photograph that depicted him with his arm around Giuffre at a party. “Nobody can prove whether or not that photograph has been doctored but I don’t recollect that photograph ever being taken,” Prince Andrew said. “I’m terribly sorry but if I, as a member of the Royal Family, and I have a photograph taken and I take very, very few photographs, I am not one to, as it were, hug and public displays of affection are not something that I do. So that’s the best explanation I can give you and I’m afraid to say that I don’t believe that photograph was taken in the way that has been suggested.”

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