Prince Andrew is taking a major step back from royal life after his recent, disastrous interview with the BBC about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein died in August in an apparent suicide while incarcerated. He was facing federal sex trafficking charges.
Andrew, 59, said in a statement on Wednesday, November 20, “It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support.”
“Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission,” he explained, referencing his mom, Queen Elizabeth.
Andrew is the queen’s third child and brother to Prince Charles. He has daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
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Andrew has denied knowing about Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking scheme and years of sexual misconduct toward underage women. In a recent BBC interview filmed at Buckingham Palace, he claimed he didn’t have sex with Epstein’s alleged victims.
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After the interview, the Duke of York was
slammed by royal watchers for the interview. Several charities and companies quickly distanced themselves from him. A palace source said the conversation was “one of the single worst PR moves in recent history.”
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Andrew’s statement said, “I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein.”
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“His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathize with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives,” he said.
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“Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required,” he concluded.
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One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre, claimed that she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew three times while she was underage, between 1999 and 2002. Andrew denied having sex with her during his BBC interview, saying, “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.”
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He claimed that her account of him being sweaty couldn’t be true, because he’s unable to sweat thanks to a medical condition. British tabloids have surfaced photos of him sweating.
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The interviewer asked why he would stay at the house of a “convicted sex offender.” He said, “It was a convenient place to stay. I've gone through this in my mind so many times. At the end of the day, with the 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 honorable and right thing to do. And I admit fully that my judgment was probably colored by my tendency to be too honorable. But that is just the way it is.”
Andrew has denied knowing about Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking scheme and years of sexual misconduct toward underage women. In a recent BBC interview filmed at Buckingham Palace, he claimed he didn’t have sex with Epstein’s alleged victims.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
After the interview, the Duke of York was
slammed by royal watchers for the interview. Several charities and companies quickly distanced themselves from him. A palace source said the conversation was “one of the single worst PR moves in recent history.”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Andrew’s statement said, “I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein.”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathize with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives,” he said.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required,” he concluded.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre, claimed that she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew three times while she was underage, between 1999 and 2002. Andrew denied having sex with her during his BBC interview, saying, “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
He claimed that her account of him being sweaty couldn’t be true, because he’s unable to sweat thanks to a medical condition. British tabloids have surfaced photos of him sweating.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
The interviewer asked why he would stay at the house of a “convicted sex offender.” He said, “It was a convenient place to stay. I've gone through this in my mind so many times. At the end of the day, with the 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 honorable and right thing to do. And I admit fully that my judgment was probably colored by my tendency to be too honorable. But that is just the way it is.”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
