Even if you don't follow the royal family religiously, it's hard to avoid the headlines when big news comes out. Everyone knew about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's engagement and Kate Middleton and Prince William's firstborn child. And now they know about Prince Andrew's connection to Jeffrey Epstein.
It turns out that the two had quite a close friendship. The two initially met in 1999 through a mutual friend — Jeffrey's girlfriend at the time, Ghislaine Maxwell. Even though Prince Andrew claims the two weren't close, they reportedly went on vacation together to Thailand. They also attended plenty of the same parties and fundraisers and mixed with the same crowd.
Jeffrey, a teacher turned financier, was arrested for sex trafficking of minors this July. Just one month later, he died in his cell. It was labeled a suicide, but plenty of people think that something more sinister happened. It was an unsatisfying end for all of the people he is alleged to have hurt along the way who were looking for justice. Through Jeffrey, Prince Andrew was also accused of sexual misconduct. A woman named Virginia Giuffre who has spoken out against the royal, claiming she was a minor at the beginning of their alleged sexual relationship. As you may guess, all eyes are on Prince Andrew, and he's not looking good to the public.
When Jeffrey's sex crimes went public, plenty of celebrities who had associated with him were quick to make announcements that they were dropping ties with him. Prince Andrew, however, took some time to say anything. Even if he thought that his friendship wouldn't be under the microscope, he should have realized that there were plenty of people who assumed the two were close.
On August 24, a statement was finally released. But it wasn't all that satisfactory. Andrew claimed that he didn't "see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to [Epstein's] arrest and conviction."
There was also a statement released that said that Prince Andrew found the news of Jeffrey Epstein to be appalling. "The Duke of York has been appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged crimes," it read. "His Royal Highness deplores the exploitation of any human being and the suggestion he would condone, participate in or encourage any such behaviour is abhorrent."
But actions speak louder than words. After those statements were released, an alleged victim of Prince Andrew came out. Virginia Roberts Giuffre held a press conference in August, and she was openly asked about it. Virginia could only state that "he knows exactly what he's done, and I hope he comes clean about it." She claims that Prince Andrew took advantage of her as a minor, when she was only 17 years old.
Virginia opened up more about the abuse when speaking to Savannah Guthrie on NBC. She stated that she'd been abused by Prince Andrew three times and that it was linked to Jeffrey Epstein's operation. As expected, Buckingham Palace was quick to deny the claims, stating, "It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation."
It may make sense for the royals to try to protect Andrew's name, but Virginia has nothing to gain and everything to lose if she made up these accusations. It's always important to listen to those who speak up, since they're putting themselves in an extremely fragile situation. Metro reports that the first alleged incident happened in 2001.
There have also been witnesses who support Virginia's claims. Lawyer Lisa Bloom, who has been working with a couple of Jeffrey Epstein's victims since the news came out, told Metro that she's working with a "credible witness" who remembers seeing Virginia out with Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew was all smiles, yet Virginia was looking unhappy and uncomfortable being there.
As of right now, Prince Andrew has publicly stepped away from the spotlight, relinquishing his duties as a royal. People reports that Prince Charles, Prince William, and Queen Elizabeth all had something to do with the decision to make an announcement about it. It wasn't quite the news that Virginia was hoping for, but it's still a step in the right direction. "Prince Andrew’s recent interview and his subsequent action to withdraw from public life is welcomed news. It is a positive first step towards taking responsibility for his actions," Virginia’s attorney said to People.
Virginia talked more about the abuse in an interview with the BBC. "He wasn’t mean or anything but he got up and he said 'thanks' and walked out," she said. "I sat there in bed, just horrified and ashamed, and felt dirty and I had to get up and go have a shower." She also mentioned that Ghislaine had a big part in the transaction, proving that Jeffrey Epstein had an operation going on.
So who is Ghislaine Maxwell? Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend reportedly helped with the sex trafficking and had a notable father who, according to CNN, also died questionably while in the midst of a scandal. After his death, Ghislaine officially moved to the United States and became somewhat of a socialite. CNN reports that she was invited to Chelsea Clinton's wedding.
While the Jeffrey and Ghislaine reportedly broke up in the '90s, they remained friends. In fact, in an interview with Vanity Fair that published in 2003, Jeffrey referred to Ghislaine as his best friend and admitted that she was responsible for helping organize his life. Staying friends with exes is something Jeffrey prided himself on, saying that the woman "moves up, not down" after a romantic relationship ends.
Before Virginia Giuffre's TV interview even aired, Prince Andrew reportedly drove all the way to Sandringham to meet with his older brother and his father, Prince Philip. It's an interesting reaction to have, and it shows that he's been very concerned with damage control. However, the evidence against him isn't looking very good.
"There's only one of us telling the truth, and I know that's me," Virginia said to the BBC. While the first incident reportedly happened in a London club, the other two incidents of abuse occurred elsewhere. Virginia alleges that she was in both New York and the US Virgin Islands when she was forced to have additional sexual contact with Prince Andrew.
Prince Andrew, however, denies even knowing Virginia. "I can tell you categorically I don't remember meeting her at all," he said in November. "I do not remember a photograph being taken and I've said consistently and frequently that we never had any sort of sexual contact whatever."
But it's hard to believe his words, as he also was a little shady when it came to his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. He claims that a visit that happened in 2010, after Jeffrey was officially a sex offender, was in order to break off their friendship. "I felt that doing it over the telephone was the chicken's way of doing it," he said, according to ABC. "I had to go and see him and talk to him."
He also stated that he was home with his daughter on the day of one of his alleged meetings with Virginia. "I was with the children, and I'd taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at, I suppose, sort of 4 or 5 in the afternoon," he said. "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."
He also denies another one of Virginia's memories. According to Virginia, he was sweaty during the night of their club encounter. Prince Andrew states that this is impossible, as he has a medical condition that prevents him for sweating too much. "I have a peculiar medical condition which is that I don't sweat, or I didn't sweat at the time," he added. "I didn't sweat at the time because I had suffered what I would describe as an overdose of adrenaline in the Falklands War when I was shot at, and I simply — it was almost impossible for me to sweat."
It's a good thing that Virginia came out and shared her story. It's important for victims to know that people are listening. Even if Prince Andrew denies his claims, it's important that people take them seriously. If the news comes out that Prince Andrew was guilty, let's hope that the royal family holds him fully responsible for his actions.
