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IN A REMARKABLE almost hour-long interview last night Britain’s Prince Andrew sought to distance himself from claims relating to his association with disgraced US financier and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking to Emily Maitlis on BBC’s Newsnight programme, the royal faced tough questioning on claims he’d had sex with an underage girl who is also an alleged victim of Epstein.
Andrew insisted he had “no recollection” of ever having met his accuser, Virginia Roberts, now called Virginia Giuffre. He said he had let the royals down – “let the side down” – and had behaved in a way that was “not something that was becoming of a member of the royal family” in associating with Epstein.
The interview took place on Thursday in Buckingham Palace and the prince has faced stinging criticism in the wake of its broadcast in the UK media and on social media.
Here are some of the standout moments:
“It was a convenient place to stay” – when quizzed on why he stayed in the house of Epstein after the American had been convicted.
"It was definitely the wrong thing to do. But at the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do."
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) November 16, 2019
The Duke of York speaks to @maitlis about his links to Jeffrey Epstein and his decision to stay with him
MORE: https://t.co/c2rYXXMwcu#Newsnight pic.twitter.com/iajFWI2r1H
Mailtis: But you were staying at the house of a convicted sex offender?
Andrew: It was a convenient place to stay. I mean I’ve gone through this in my mind so many times. At the end of the day, with a benefit of all the hindsight that one can have, it was definitely the wrong thing to do. But at the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do and I admit fully that my judgment was probably coloured by my tendency to be too honourable but that’s just the way it is.
“I didn’t sweat at the time” – when quizzed on a very specific claim that he’d had sweated all over an alleged victim on a London dancefloor
“I didn’t sweat at the time because I had suffered what I would describe as an overdose of adrenalin in the Falkland’s War when I was shot at.”
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) November 16, 2019
Prince Andrew disputes claims he had a sweaty dance with a woman who made allegations against him https://t.co/gfKvOEFG9p #Newsnight pic.twitter.com/7ZKscPB5lX
Maitlis: She was very specific about that night. She described dancing with you -
Andrew: No
Maitlis: And you were profusely sweating and that she went on to have a bath possibly -
Andrew: [laughs] There’s a slight problem with the sweating because I have a peculiar medical condition that I don’t sweat and that was… oh actually, yes I didn’t sweat at the time because I had suffered what I would describe as an overdose of adrenaline in the Falkland’s War when I was shot. I simply… it was almost impossible for me to sweat. And it’s only because I have a done number of things in the recent past that I am starting to be able to do that again.
“I’d taken Beatrice to Pizza Express in Woking” – Andrew’s alibi for the night he allegedly had his photo taken with the woman who says they had sex
“On the date that’s being suggested I was at home with the children… I’d taken Beatrice to Pizza Express in Woking.”
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) November 16, 2019
Prince Andrew tells @maitlis he was elsewhere the night it has been claimed he had his photo taken with a woman who says they had sex
#Newsnight pic.twitter.com/XoDEALx5MJ
Maitlis: You know that you were at home with the children. Was it a memorable night?
Andrew: On that particular day that we now understand is the date which is 10 March, I was at home. 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 was away, we have a simple rule in the family that when one is away the other one is there. I was on terminal leave at the time from the Royal Navy so therefore I was at home.
Maitlis: Why would you remember that so specifically? Why would you remember a Pizza Express birthday and being at home?
Andrew: Because going to Pizza Express in Woking is an unusual thing for me to do, a very unusual thing for me to do. I’ve never been… I’ve only been to Woking a couple of times and I remember it weirdly distinctly. As soon as somebody reminded me of it, I went ‘oh yes, I remember that’. But I have no recollection of ever meeting or being in the company or the presence [of accuser Virginia Giuffre].
Extent of relationship with Epstein
Maitlis: Just for the record. You’ve been on his private plane?
Andrew: Yes.
Maitlis: You’ve been to his private island?
Andrew: Yes.
“Just for the record, you’ve been on his private plane?”
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) November 16, 2019
"Yes."
"You've been to his private island?"
"Yes."
In an exclusive interview, @maitlis challenges the Duke of York over the nature of his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
#Newsnight pic.twitter.com/ox0A92vM97
“A constant sore in my family” – how the scandal is affecting him and his family
“It has been what I would describe as a constant sore in the family.”
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) November 16, 2019
Prince Andrew tells #Newsnight his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier who took his own life while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, has caused anguish for the Royal family pic.twitter.com/MZGjnzstYW
Maitlis: I wonder what effect all this has had on your close family. You’ve got your daughters of your own.
Andrew: It has been what I would describe as a constant sore in the family. And I think that if we have a conservation about it, it’s, we’are all left with the same thing. What on earth happened or how did he get to where he was, what did he do, how did he do it? And it’s just a constant sort of gnaw. I mean this first came out in 2011. And it was a surprise to… to all of us. Because the photographs were published at a separate time to when I was there and then we sort of questioned what on earth is going on and as a family we discussed it.
“Unbecoming? He was a sex offender” – Maitlis presses Andrew on his use of language to describe Epstein’s actions
Brilliant from Emily Maitlis.
— Mark Tighe (@marktigheST) November 16, 2019
“Unbecoming!? He was a sex offender!!!” #PrinceAndrew 💥💥💥 pic.twitter.com/Ny7zoNIVq1
Andrew: I regret the fact that he has quite obviously conducted himself in a manner unbecoming…
Maitlis: Unbecoming? He was a sex offender.
Andrew: I’m sorry, I’m being polite. He was a sex offender.
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Stop all physical contact between all people.
@Mary Murphy: so you’d be happy to have a stranger grab your arse?
This has given me the courage to tell my story:
one time many years ago I was in a church and mid way through the mass the priest walked over and caught my hand and just started shaking it while whispering something like piece of you, next the elderly woman next to me did the same and then the man to my right. I’ve never felt so violated!
@Mary Murphy: We are social animals, touching and contact is part of who we are. You want to stop all contact, between humans because of a few perverts and are you human Mary?
@Stephen murphy: I think she may have been speaking sarcastically
@Mary Murphy: women should now stand back and let men leave lifts first – just in case
@lavbeer: Yes and whatever you do when you are in the lift don’t ask a lady if she is going down
@Dermot Lane: id love if someone grabbed my arse, feel so left out of this touchy feelie stuff. maybe I’m hanging out in the wrong places?
I think if you asked every woman over the age of 35 if they’ve ever had somebody touch them inappropriately or make crude sexual remarks or suggestions to them I would think almost all of them would say yes. Long and short of it is that while the majority of these incidents were at best irritating and at worst upsetting they do not amount to sexual assault. Sexual assault is serious and life destroying…… Don’t trivialize it
@AP: She was lucky he was in a wheelchair…
@AP: Almost everyone will have had this happen.
Show me a person (male or female) who hasn’t had his arse pinched or crotch grabbed without consent
@Ían Ó Ceallaigh: It never happened to me…I’m….just…..so….lonely!
Him and his son are creeps, not surprised.
At the same time it’s becoming a fashion statement to say you’ve been sexually assaulted like it’s trendy to be offended by absolutely everything theses days.
@name cannot be blank: HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT!!!!!!!!
@name cannot be blank: only someone whose never experienced sexually assault would make a stupid statement like that. Would you feel the same way if a close relative of yours was sexually assaulted? I hope not!
@name cannot be blank: she should receive compensation!!
@Emma Weldon:
If it was a close relative of mine I’d still be asking why now and not 4 years ago when it happened. Is that not a fair question to ask?
@Emma Weldon: I was sexually abused when I was younger, about 8-9 years old by a stranger and to be honest I feel the same as what “name cannot be blank” these people are practically equating a touch on the bum to rape,. I’ve also found that humour, sarcasm and cynicism helps me and the majority of humans deal with trauma and such so please don’t get offended on my behalf, im a big boy and understand not everyone thinks like you or I which is what makes life interesting.
@Emma Weldon:
And he grabbed her arse, he didn’t rape her(not that he be able to anyway) she’s just jumping on the bandwagon.
He’s a creep and a war criminal like his son so I’m not one bit surprised he feels entitled or grab who ever he likes but let’s keep things in perspective in relation to her claims.
She’s seen all these Harvey Weinstein allegations and a trendy #metoo on twitter and said to herself “aul lad bush rubbed my arse years ago!! I’m jumping on the bandwagon!!!”
@name cannot be blank: you’re right, it seems to be trendy to be the victim these day’s…
and trivializes victims of horrendous abuse..
the women who have suffered under Harvey weinstien having there situation highjacked by headline grabbers grinds my gears….
@Simon Carroll: totally agree with you.
i was too when I was a kid, this band wagon jumping makes me so annoyed..
I remember at school, young guys and girls alike would rub their hand along the blackboard and then leave a large white hand print on the bum of the opposite sex. Harmless fun and now probably a criminal offence.
@Simon O’Connor: we have to teach our children not to let anybody touch them inappropriately…… now we’ll have to tell them do not touch anybody anywhere anytime ever …… cos they might not like that at lunch time in the junior infants yard…… I shudder to think what society will be like in 20 years time with people going around afraid to assume gender, speak or touch without causing offence.
Maybe he should apologise for sanctioning the killing of untold innocent men women and children first.
This is getting stupid now
@Simon O’Connor: it gone stupid with a while…
@Simon O’Connor: agreed and while certainly inappropriate it’s a bit of a stretch to call it sexual assault.
@Simon O’Connor: Yes this type of carry on diminishes actual abuse cases unless there is a hidden history of this carry on
@Simon O’Connor: agreed .
@Simon O’Connor: men who have never been groped by another man say it’s ok to do it because they don’t find it offensive. So it’s ok for another man to grab your partner or daughter by the ass? This is where it starts.
@Deborah Behan: I was sexually abused when when youngerwhen I was younger Deborah and I agree with Simon, this is ridiculous, practically equating an graze of the bum to rape, he’s in a wheelchair, while that doesn’t give him a right to do it, it does as stated mean when posing for photos his arm is perfect height to be placed at waist/hip level, all it would take is a sneeze,cough,shudder and a hand could be misplaced.
Has anyone seen this weeks video from Corey Feldman – the kid from the Goonies, Stand By Me, The Lost Boys etc.
He’s lawyering up in preparation to bring down a massive paedophilia ring in Hollywood with some very high profile predators.
This could get interesting
@Simon O’Connor: I love the Goonies.
I don’t know why women don’t just turn around and slap the chops of their groper at the very moment of “the assualt”, instead of stewing on it for years and making a big deal of it in the meeja. Just deal with it at source, do yourself and the world a massive favour.
@Zx5vZulB: yeah if you can immediately get over the shock of it just start a physical fight with a stranger who has no problem grabbing / touching a stranger inappropriately and is probably physically stronger than you, what could go wrong? I guess she’d have been safe enough slapping a former president in a wheelchair, at least until his security stepped in.
Someone touched my arse once. Scarred for life, i say scarred for life
The next time a woman smiles at me and exposes part of her breasts via a purposely designed deep cut in her top I’m going to contact the cops. It’s happening far too often.
Ffs get over it
Is this a joke? He has been accused of far worse than that with minors.
I have a great way of dealing with that . No screaming no scandal , I just nicely smiled at the gropper and said mr . ****** I know I am only an employee ( I did work for him some five years ) and that’s your company .
I am a great sport so if you wanna play with me that’s fine but remember I will play too , in front of your wife and the boys , how about that ? And I smiled even brighter .
He NEVER done it again
Why don’t they tie his hands down.
Send him to jail for life. Life I say!!!
Video or gfy
So putting your hand on an ass cheek is sexual assault? Surely it’s inappropriate contact not sexual assault.
Christ that’s halarious
FFS!
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