PRINCE Andrew must stop hiding behind his royal status and speak to authorities over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, a former chief prosecutor has insisted.
The Duke of York, 63, vowed to speak to law enforcement about Epstein and Maxwell during his car crash interview on November 16, 2019.
BBCPrince Andrew has remained silent since his car crash 2019 Newsnight intervew[/caption]
PAThe Duke, left, claims he never met Virginia Giuffre, pictured centre with Ghislaine Maxwell right[/caption]
Andrew and Epstein pictured in New York’s Central Park in 2010Jae Donnelly
But more than 1,500 days on, the disgraced royal has been blasted for failing to given a statement on the vile couple’s sex crimes – despite having more than four years to do so.
And now the royal family has been rocked by even further “embarrassment” after bombshell court documents naming Andrew were released.
The explosive papers allege Andrew took part in an “underage orgy” while on Epstein’s now notorious private island.
They also claim an unnamed Jane Doe – understood to be his widely known accuser Virginia Giuffre – was “forced” by convicted sex offender Epstein to “have sexual relations” with the Duke.
Experts say Andrew has used his royal position as a shield to avoid facing the music over his connections to Epstein.
Since he promised to speak to law enforcement in November 2019, the UK has seen three Prime Ministers, two monarchs and even weathered a global pandemic.
Andrew strongly denies all allegations against him over his relationship with Epstein – and claims he has no memory of even meeting Giuffre.
Nazir Afzal, the former chief crown prosecutor for northwest England, told The Sun all allegations against Andrew should be properly investigated.
He said: “These allegations are too serious to be ignored.
“The UK police have failed to investigate any since they were first made.
“The Prince has studiously avoided speaking to the authorities despite several times saying he would.
“We’re either serious about tackling abuse or we’re not – and power and position should be no bar to accountability.”
A 2014 court filing claims that Jane Doe 3 – understood to be Giuffr – was kept as a sex slave by Epstein and was “forced to have sexual relations with this Prince when she was a minor”.
The alleged incidents happened “in London (at Ghislaine Maxwell’s apartment), in New York, and on Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands (in an orgy with numerous other under-aged girls).”
It claimed Epstein told Jane Doe 3 to “give the Prince whatever he demanded”.
He also allegedly “required Jane Doe #3 to report back to him on the details of the sexual abuse”.
Jane Doe 3, according to the filing, was trafficked to “foreign presidents, a well-known prime minister, and other world leaders”.
Giuffre has previously claimed she was forced to have sex with Andrew in three separate locations, including in an orgy on Epstein’s island.
It comes as…
More than 900 new pages of Epstein documents were revealed by a US judge
Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Stephen Hawking and Michael Jackson were among 90 people named in the documents
More docs are expected to be released in the coming days – with another 80 or so names set to be unveiled
Other names featured in the documents include Leonardo Dicaprio, Cate Blanchett and Bruce Willis – but they are not accused of wrongdoing
Jackon is alleged to have visited Epstein at his mansion in New York
Epstein is claimed to have offered a reward to disprove claims Hawking took part in an ‘underage orgy’
And the paedophile trafficker is alleged to have told a victim that Clinton “likes them young”
Another ‘mystery prince’ is mentioned – but not named in the docs
Ghislaine Maxwell claimed that Andrew had visited Epstein’s infamous ‘Paedo Island’
She also whinged questions about Prince Andrew go “on and on” in an email
Mark Williams-Thomas, an ex-cop turned investigative journalist who helped expose Jimmy Savile, said Andrew has “many questions to answer still”.
He told The Sun: “I think it’s incredibly disappointing that he hasn’t offered himself up to the police, to the FBI, to answer those questions.
“He made himself available for a television interview he hoped to be quite crafted – but he was caught out.
There are still so many unanswered questions around Andrew involvement with Epstein.
“If he’s done nothing wrong, then just be open and honest with the police.
But to date, he’s avoided being interviewed by the police and FBI. I can’t see that ever happening. He’s hidden behind his royal status.”
Andrew’s embarrassing appearance on Newsnight was widely derided as showing a lack of empathy for the victims and an apparent lack of remorse for his association with Epstein.
The Duke made bizarre excuses such as that he “couldn’t sweat” and that he was actually at “Pizza Express in Woking” in the TV chat which preceded his total removal from public life.
He even said he didn’t regret his friendship with Epstein, who he referred to as “Jeffrey”, because met “useful” people through him.
But Andrew is reported to have assured The Queen the chat went very well and his close aides believed he was “wonderful”.
Yet it opened the floodgates which eventually saw his accuser Giuffre bring a civil case against him – which was settled quietly out of court for an estimated £12million.
Giuffre alleged she was forced to have sex with the Duke when she was just 17 after being trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell.
The newly released court documents have now caused more humiliation for the Firm – and royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams says it’s left the royal isolated.
In 2022, Buckingham Palace confirmed Andrew had been stripped of all his military honours and would no longer be able to use ‘His Royal Highness’.
Mr Fitzwilliams believes there is no way back for Andrew now.
He told The Sun: “It’s almost impossible to see how he can rescue any of his former career which is what he’s reportedly keen on doing. It just won’t happen.
“There’s no public support at all. Nobody wants anything to do with him.
“The public are overwhelming horrified by Andrew’s sense of entitlement and behaviour.
“I should think every single time this comes up they [the royal family] feel somewhat despairing.
“There is absolutely no chance of any royal role in the future.”
An order for the bombshell files to be released was given by New York judge Loretta Preska in relation to the 2015 defamation case brought by Virginia Roberts Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell.
Of over 100 names in the new files, which will include emails, legal documents, depositions and more, there is no suggestion many of those named are accused of any wrongdoing.
Names of Epstein and Maxwell’s victims, associates and alleged co-conspirators, along with other A-listers mentioned in passing, will continue to be made public as part of the document dump, according to Preska’s order.
Only Epstein and Maxwell have been charged over the alleged sexual abuse of dozens of young girls in his Upper East Side townhouse and his waterfront mansion in Palm Beach between 2002 and 2005.
Giuffre’s defamation lawsuit in 2015 was settled – but some of those involved in the trial were identified in the ruling through links to interviews they had previously given.
Judge Preska cited this as a reason for why their identities should not remain sealed.
She ruled there was no legal justification for continuing to conceal the names of more than 150 “John and Jane Does” mentioned in the court filings relating to Epstein.
Media sued to have the documents made public and they have been released on a rolling basis since 2019.
Wednesday’s unsealing was the eighth release from the 2015 defamation case.
Giuffre sued Prince Andrew in 2021 for battery and infliction of emotional distress.
They settled in February 2022 for a reported £10million, though he has always denied the allegations against him and claimed he could not recall ever meeting Giuffre.
Epstein killed himself in 2019 while he awaited trial.
Maxwell, 62, is serving 20 years for sex trafficking.
PAAndrew has remained silent for more than 1,500 days since the interview[/caption]