The Duke of York’s appearance on the BBC, in which he “categorically” denied allegation of sex abuse against a minor and “explained” his ties with Jeffrey Epstein, was a total train wreck.
“I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened,” Prince Andrew told BBC Newsnight's Emily Maitlis, addressing the accusations by Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was forced into sex with Andrew between 1999 and 2002, during the time she says Epstein kept her as a “slave.”
Despite a widely circulated photo that appears to show Andrew with Giuffre, arm wrapped around her bare waist, the prince insisted that he has “no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.”
At the same time he remembers “weirdly distinctly” how he took his daughter to Pizza Express and spent rest of the night at home, on the day the accuser claims they had sex. Going to Pizza Express in Woking is an unusual thing for me to do... I remember it weirdly distinctly.
As to Guiffre's accusations of the Prince sweating profusely and pouring with perspiration when dancing: I have a peculiar medical condition which is that I don't sweat.... “Or I didn't sweat at the time,” he said, somewhat ironically adding that he had only started to be able to sweat again “in the recent past.”
As for the photo of him with Giuffre, Prince Andrew had investigation carried out to prove it was fake, but the results were inconclusive.
Prince Andrew refused disavow his relationship with Epstein, noting its “seriously beneficial outcomes,” but said it was a “stretch” to call it a close friendship. He admitted to staying on Epstein’s private island, visiting his home in Florida, travelling on his private plane, and even inviting him to Princess Beatrice’s 18th birthday at Windsor Castle in July 2006 – but he “certainly” was unaware of a warrant already issued for Epstein arrest for sex crimes at the time.
The prince said that he does regret the fact that [Epstein] has quite obviously conducted himself in a manner unbecoming, before the interviewer wondered if those were the proper words to describe a convicted sex offender.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50446065