Updated 16th November 2019
And with it still hanging albatross-like about his royal neck, in a much discussed before broadcast unprecedented interview with BBC Newsnight at Buck House:
Prince Andrew interview: Jeffrey Epstein stay was ‘wrong thing to do’ (bbc.co.uk).
The Duke of York has said he “let the side down” by staying at the home of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, adding it was the “wrong thing to do”.
And that his decision was based on that “It was a convenient place to stay“ and that at time he felt it “the honourable and right thing to do”, his questionable judgement this time impaired by a “tendency to be too honourable“ and with regards the claims of licking arches and bonking the at the time 17-year-old Virginia Roberts Giuffre:
“It didn’t happen. I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.”
Saying that on the night in question he had in fact being at a Pizza Express in Woking for his daughter Beatrice’s birthday (theguardian.com), that he cannot have been “profusely sweating” when performing that pelvic smashing dancing at Tramp as he “can’t sweat” due to a medical condition due to an overdose of adrenaline while being shot at as a copper pilot in the Falklands War (thesun.co.uk), and presumably with the infamous photo obviously doctored to include him or indeed suggesting he has/had a doppelgänger fooling all who’s uncanny likeness is spoilt only by insufficiently chubby fingers.
Giving their verdict straight after saw media commentators suggested his seeming lack of remorse display could backfire, with a “top media lawyer” rolled out to described it as a “catastrophic error“ (theguardian.com) but with the duke standing by what was soon described as a “car crash” (bbc.co.uk) perhaps finally retiring his “driving” and duties like his gaff-prone nonagenarian dad (theguardian.com, Feb. 2019).
Updated 19th November 2019
And with another woman coming forward to accuse Epstein of “vicious, prolonged sexual assault” and calling for the duke to voluntarily meet with the FBI and prosecutors to share what he knows (bbc.co.uk) and a former aid for Uncle CamerTom claiming the duke used racist Victorian idioms (dailymail.co.uk):
KPMG ends its backing for Prince Andrew’s mentorship scheme (theguardian.com):
The accountancy giant KPMG is not renewing its sponsorship of Prince Andrew’s entrepreneurial scheme Pitch@Palace, it has emerged, in the wake of his much-derided interview in which he defended his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
And:
Students call for Prince Andrew to quit as chancellor of Huddersfield University (independent.co.uk).
Tristan Smith, who launched the campaign, believes the BBC Newsnight interview—in which Prince Andrew denied having sex with a teenager because he was in Pizza Express at the time of the alleged incident—added strength to the calls.
Presumably because students are quite fond of pizza when they can afford and fear they may be caught off guard if the duke turns up at their local Domino’s looking for more than extra pepperoni.
Updated 20th November 2019
And so, with BT distancing itself from his patronage too and seemingly after a meeting with mum and brother Charles indeed stepping into dad’s retirement slippers in order to limit damage to the regal family family business:
Prince Andrew stepping back from royal duties (bbc.co.uk).
The duke said he had asked the Queen if he could step back from public duties, and she had given her permission.
For the “foreseeable future” and as well as expressing sympathy with Epstein’s victims and hoping they “will be able to rebuild their lives” stating he is “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required”.
Updated 22nd November 2019
And with the aide who orchestrated the interview car crash removed from her long-standing role as his private secretary (theguardian.com):
But despite aristocratically horse riding together, Brenda keen to show the firm—dad’s name for the family business—sees it necessary to distance too:
There were also claims last night that as well as Pitch moving out of Buckingham Palace, the duke may even lose his small private office there—funded by the Queen—as he is no longer a working royal for the ‘foreseeable future’.
But with him resigning as patron of the English National Ballet after the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra dropped his patronage too (independent.co.uk) and some wonder if the firm itself can recover after yet another annus horribilis:
Prince Andrew and the royal crisis: How the Firm lost its grip (theguardian.com).
It appears Buckingham Palace was incapable of spotting the bear traps that the interview presented—a sign, according to insiders, of institutional decay. “There’s a lack of discipline there at the moment,” the source said.
With it suggested that the decorum of efficient staff advisor that had been steadying hand who were “prepared to speak truth to power” in the past are missing.
Updated 27th November 2019
And furious that she had had to wait for her own interview filmed three weeks prior to randy Andy’s to air on the Beeb at the start of next month (dailymail.co.uk):
Somewhat egged on as is invariably the case with social media by those cawing for the duke to face consequences from law enforcement.
In response to a post suggesting Prince Andrew should go to prison, she said: ‘Well said—keep putting pressure on the authorities to hold each and everyone who participated, enabled or knew & did nothing accountable.
‘No more charades, or games-time to start locking all the predators up!!!
‘They put us in chains not [sic] it’s their turn!’
And seemingly with “friends” of the duke’s ex Fergie ensuring all toes and indeed foot are fully in mouth by suggesting she should be properly cross examined on evidence that does not stack up and that she should be asked how much she had been paid for that evidence photo with insufficient princely chubby fingers:
‘She should be put on the rack. The BBC cannot drill him as they did, and just believe her, when there are lots of inconsistencies.’
But with something of an awkward silence when the duke concurred that they should indeed drill her too.
Updated 3rd December 2019
And with that Panorama special airing last night:
‘He didn’t last long’: Prince Andrew accuser in tears as she recalls ‘sex with royal’ (mirror.co.uk).
In a harrowing moment from tonight’s BBC Panorama special, the 35-year-old mother-of-three was left in tears as she described how “disgusting” sex with the Royal reportedly was.
With the duke’s “soft sentiments” before swiftly taking his leave becoming that he simply got up, said “thanks” before walked out and with added humiliation in that he “didn’t last very long” and that she had to jump straight into the shower after, being left feeling “ashamed and dirty“ seemingly when the damn prince that Epstein’s Madam Maxwell had introduced her to that she more than kissed promptly turned into a frog but with Maxwell the next day patting her on the back and telling her “you‘ve made him really happy“.
And with the duke still denying any knowledge of her the interview’s investigation teams findings regards emails sent to Maxwell were further inconvenient:
The BBC Panorama investigation uncovered a 2015 email which suggests he asked for Maxwell’s help in responding to Miss Roberts’ claims he had sex with her when she was 17 and a trafficked ‘sex slave’ of Epstein.
As part of the email, the prince asks Maxwell: ‘Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts,’ causing her to respond: ‘Have some info. Call me when you have a moment.’
Sent just days after the duke had been named in US court documents as part of Roberts Giuffre’s lawsuit against Maxwell in 2015 and the day before Buck House issued a firm denial of her allegations.
And with Roberts Giuffre one of five women accusing the duke of participation abuse:
Prince Andrew must testify says Epstein accusers’ lawyer (bbc.co.uk).
The lawyer for the women has told BBC Panorama he plans to serve subpoenas to force the Duke of York to testify as a witness in all five cases.
But despite his willingness to help law enforcement with their investigations if required, the serving of a subpoena will of course require someone be able to actually get through his entourage to serve it too him should he actually set foot on American soil again.
Updated 27th January 2020
‘Zero cooperation’: Prince Andrew refuses to comply with Jeffrey Epstein sex abuse investigation, US officials say (independent.co.uk).
In developments that reverberated from New York to Buckingham Palace and beyond, US Attorney Geoffrey Berman stood outside of the late Epstein’s New York apartment, to say both FBI and federal prosecutors were seeking the prince’s help. So far there had been “zero cooperation”, he told reporters.
Perhaps not surprising with Andrew rumoured to be being banished to the attic of the Royal Lodge (womanandhome.com, Oct. 2019) with it falling upon Fergie to take up his breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Perhaps a deal could be made to trade Andrew for Anne Sacoolas who fled the UK with diplomatic immunity after mowing down a young chap riding a motorcycle while driving on the wrong side of the road, with the US refusing to extradite (news.sky.com) with President Orange Don having said that “These things happen“ and then trying to trick the young man’s family into a meeting with Sacoolas so she could presumably say “Sorry“, with any sovereignty restoring resolve from PM BoJo and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab tempered by the fact that Brexit Blighty is now so desperate for a trade deal with US for manky chlorinated chicken.
Next page: Royal family seemingly suggests the duke will never resume official duties, US DOJ allegedly requests he be made available for questioning, Epstein’s socialite former girlfriend and alleged procuror Ghislaine Maxwell arrested and charged with sex crimes, conspiracy and perjury and another woman comes forward to support Ms Giuffre’s version of events having witnessed the Duke’s vigorous “pelvic smashing dancing” at Tramp.