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16th Nov 2019

Prince Andrew says he remained friends with Jeffrey Epstein because he was “too honourable”

Carl Kinsella

Prince Andrew

That’s one way to look at it.

Prince Andrew, son of Queen Elizabeth and the younger brother of Prince Charles, has given an interview discussing his friendship with billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein, who was convicted of sexual crimes against a minor in 2003, died in prison earlier this year while awaiting trial for other, similar crimes. His death has been ruled a suicide, though the incident is subject of many conspiracy theories.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis yesterday, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, explained why he stayed at Epstein’s house even after he’d been convicted of crimes against children.

“It was a convenient place to stay… I mean I’ve gone through this in my mind so many times. At the end of the day, with a benefit of all the hindsight that one can have, it was definitely the wrong thing to do.”

Many on social media have balked at the monarch’s suggestion that he continued his relationship with Epstein as he was “too honourable.”

“But at the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do and I admit fully that my judgement was probably coloured by my tendency to be too honourable but that’s just the way it is.”

Of the decision to stay with Epstein, he said: “I kick myself on a daily basis… I let the side down.”

Maitlis also put directly to Prince Andrew claims made by a woman named Virginia Roberts, who says she had sex with Prince Andrew in the home of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s partner. On that matter, the prince said: “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.”

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