The Queen's son reportedly had close ties to Epstein, who was charged with sex trafficking earlier this summer.
earlier this summer, federal prosecutors charged wealthy Manhattan financier Jeffrey Epstein with one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. After pleading not guilty to the crimes, Epstein was denied bail, and was later found dead in his Manhattan jail cell. The cause of death was ruled a suicide.
But even after his death, Epstein's high profile social circle has continued to remain in the headlines. Notably, Epstein's associates included not only politicians in both parties, but also royalty. Queen Elizabeth's son Prince Andrew reportedly had close ties to Epstein at one point.
On August 27, one of Epstein's alleged victims, Virginia Roberts Guiffre, held a press conference. When asked specifically about Prince Andrew, she said, "he knows exactly what he's done, and I hope he comes clean about it."
In September, Guiffre sat down with Savannah Guthrie of NBC News for a televised interview in which she said that Prince Andrew "was an abuser." In the segment, Guthrie reports that Guiffre says Prince Andrew sexually abused her a total of three times.
Prince Andrew has always denied any accusations of inappropriate behavior, and Buckingham Palace issued an additional statement to NBC regarding Guiffre's allegations. It reads, "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."
EPSTEIN ALSO HAD A FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH ANDREW'S EX-WIFE FERGIE.
In 2011, the Telegraph reported that Epstein paid Sarah Ferguson's former personal assistant Johnny O'Sullivan £15,000 at the request of the Duke of York. That payment then reportedly "allowed a wider restructuring of Sarah's £5 million debts to take place."
The Duchess of York has since apologized for her association with Epstein. She told the publication at the time:
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