The Duke of York spoke for the first time about the scandal in a “no holds barred” BBC interview that’s set to air Saturday – the member of British royal family was accused of having sex with Virginia Roberts Giuffre three times.
“I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever,” said Prince Andrew, 59, according to quotes from the interview.
The brief excerpts of the interview make no mention of a photo from the time period, which has been at the center of the controversy, which apparently shows Prince Andrew with his arm around a then-17-year-old Giuffre’s waist, with Ghislaine Maxwell – the owner of the house in Belgravia where the alleged sexual contact took place – in the background.
Asked why he continued his friendship with Epstein, including visiting him even after his 2008 conviction for procuring an underage girl for prostitution— the duke tried to show some regret.
“I stayed with him and that’s… I kick myself for on a daily basis because it was not something that was becoming of a member of the royal family and we try and uphold the highest standards and practices and I let the side down, simple as that,” he said.
In court papers, Giuffre said she had sex with Prince Andrew three times — including when she was 17 — between 1999 and 2002. She claims they slept together at the London townhouse of Maxwell, who was also Epstein’s friend, after a night of clubbing, at Epstein’s New York home and at an orgy party on his private Caribbean island. In August, Buckingham Palace released a statement defending Prince Andrew and denying any wrongdoing.