Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been criticised by a royal expert after the latest wave of humiliation against him. The former Duke of York, who has been stripped of his titles and honours due to his links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, sparked further uproar after new emails emerged between him and the disgraced late financier.
Thousands of documents from Epstein’s estate were published by the US House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, including the exchange from March 2011, months after the former prince alleged he broke off all contact with the sex offender. One of those emails appeared to confirm that a photo of Andrew with his arm around his abuse accuser, Virginia Giuffre, was real. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing.
Now, the King’s brother, who has also agreed to move out of Royal Lodge, was blasted by a royal expert who said things will be “worse” for him following the latest, damning emails.
Veteran royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the Express: “Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has hidden behind legal niceties for years. We know he denies all charges against him and has not been found guilty of anything.
“The photograph of him with his arm around Virginia Roberts Giuffre has always been considered genuine by the public. He has never been able to explain it away, not even in the horror show of his appearance on Newsnight.
“Now we know what always seemed obvious: in correspondence released from 2011, the deceased paedophile Jeffrey Epstein admitted that it is genuine.”
Mr Fitzwilliams added: “Andrew has already been in disgrace, at a level which is unique for a royal. More information from the Epstein files will almost certainly make things worse.
“Members of a Committee of the US Congress would like to interview him. He always said he would help the FBI if asked. The police are investigating his reported use of a personal protection officer to research Virginia Giuffre.”
Ms Giuffre, who died last April, had alleged that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times – once at Ghislaine Maxwell’s home in London, once at Epstein’s address in Manhattan, and once on the disgraced financier’s private island, Little St James. Andrew has strenuously denied all allegations against him and has claimed he has no recollection of ever meeting Ms Giuffre.
An email chain appeared to show Epstein confirming that a photograph of the former prince with his arms around 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre was real, adding that several of his staff had their picture taken with Andrew.
Epstein appeared to have said in an email: “Yes she [Virginia Giuffre] was on my plane, and yes she had her picture taken with Andrew, as many of my employees have.”
The incident at Maxwell’s home, where the now infamous photo of the former duke with his accuser is reported to have been taken, allegedly occurred when Ms Giuffre was 17 years old.
The former prince vehemently denies all allegations made against him.
Epstein took his own life in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 after being convicted of sex trafficking.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
