Since the 2010s, Prince Andrew has been in the limelight for the wrong reasons. And now, he is back thanks to the Netflix movie Scoop starring Rufus Sewell and Gillian Anderson. The film looks at the making of the disastrous interview between BBC and Prince Andrew to clarify his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender and trafficker.
Who is Prince Andrew?
But who is Prince Andrew? Prince Andrew, Duke of York is the second son of Queen Elizabeth II. He was part of the Royal Navy and a Special Representative for International Trade and Investment till 2011. He was first a target by journalists back in 1992 and 1996 when he underwent a divorce, the timing which surprised many as it clashed with the infamous separation of his older brother (and now King), Charles and Diana.
Unfortunately, that would not be the last we’d see of Prince Andrew as his role as a trade envoy was questioned several times in 2011. Finally, in 2014, he was accused by Virginia Giuffre of sexual abuse. She claimed that when she was 17 years old, Jeffrey Epstein gave her to Prince Andrew. She also claims that the prince sexually assaulted her three times. This allegation shook the British monarchy followed by swift denials by Prince Andrew.
What is Prince Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the sex offender?
Prince Andrew agrees that he was friends with Jeffrey Epstein and in fact, their friendship was public knowledge after they allegedly met in 1999. They continued to stay in touch through 2008 when Epstein was first charged with sex trafficking. This had the media criticizing the men’s friendship and even had many asking for Prince Andrew to quit his role as a trade representative. Epstein had even helped pay off some of the debt of Andrew’s ex-wife. The two were last seen together in December 2010.
After Virginia Giuffre’s allegations came to light in 2014, the Palace denied and stayed silent on further inquiries. There were more depositions from Epstein’s butler, pilot and multiple victims who corroborated Giuffre’s claims that Prince Andrew had been aware of Epstein’s illegal activities and had also participated in them.
In 2019, Prince Andrew shared that in the time he had spent with Epstein, he had not seen or suspected any activities that had led to Epstein’s conviction. However, the Palace has stayed silent on the flight logs and photos of Andrew with Giuffre.
In November 2019, after surmountable witnesses spoke up, BBC decided to interview Prince Andrew, which is now the focus of the Netflix movie Scoop. BBC’s affiliated program, Newsnight had reporter Emily Maitlis sitting down with Andrew who chronicles his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
In the interview, he claims:
- He did not regret the friendship as there were “beneficial outcomes” but they were never close.
- He met Epstein in 2010 to end their friendship.
- He has a medical condition because of which he cannot sweat and so believes this is a glaring loophole in Giuffre’s story as she claimed he had been sweating when they first met.
- He believes his photo with her is edited as he always wears a suit and tie in London.
- He was at a pizza party with his daughter on the day Giuffre claimed she met him in 2001.
Where is Prince Andrew now?
Following the disastrous interview with BBC which is now the subject of the Netflix movie, Scoop, Prince Andrew has withdrawn from the spotlight. He has resigned from all of his public roles as a royal member. On top of it, his name has been removed from military affiliations and charities that he was a part of in January 2022.
Virginia Giuffre was entangled in a lawsuit with him over sexual assault. However, it has been settled out of court with Prince Andrew paying her an unmentioned amount in February 2022. As per reports, Prince Andrew now regrets his friendship with Epstein and continues to claim innocence.
The court has not found him guilty as the case was never taken to trial according to BBC. BBC claims that the sum may have reached “millions of pounds” but there is speculation whether it is from his private purse or the public treasury which is partially the taxpayers’ money.
In January 2024, a part of the “Epstein List” was released by a district court in New York. The list includes celebrities who may have been involved including Prince Andrew. The document also mentions Ghislaine Maxwell seeing Prince Andrew on Epstein’s private island albeit with no other women other than the staff.
There has been no further statement from Prince Andrew or the Palace. While being stripped of his titles, he is still in touch with his family and was seen at the Royal Easter brunch on 31st March, 2024.
What do you think of the Epstein case? What are your thoughts on Prince Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein? Let us know in the comments below.