Prince Andrew 'Has Completely Shut the Door' on Working with Prosecutors on Jeffrey Epstein Probe
Prince Andrew is not cooperating with federal prosecutors on the Jeffrey Epstein probe, despite publicly stating his willingness to help them.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said, “Contrary to Prince Andrew’s very public offer to cooperate with our investigation into Epstein’s co-conspirators, an offer that was conveyed via press release, Prince Andrew has now completely shut the door on voluntary cooperation and our office is considering its options.”
Earlier this year, Berman revealed Prince Andrew, who had ties to the disgraced financier, has provided “zero cooperation” in the ongoing investigation into Epstein, who was arrested last summer on sex trafficking charges before committing suicide while in federal custody.
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Ian Forsyth/Getty Images; Neil Rasmus/Patrick McMullan Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein
Federal prosecutors and the FBI have asked to interview Queen Elizabeth‘s son as part of their Jeffrey Epstein investigation to no avail, despite the prince announcing he would cooperate as the case proceeds.
Prince Andrew, 60, formally stepped back from royal duties amid his explosive BBC interview about his ties to Epstein in November. In the statement announcing the bombshell news, the father of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie stated: “Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”
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BBC Prince Andrew
In the interview, Andrew discussed his years-long friendship with Epstein and the sexual abuse allegations of Virginia Roberts (now Virginia Giuffre). Giuffre’s accusations, which the prince denies, mentioned coercion to have sex with the royal three times between 1999 and 2002 in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein, starting when she was just 17 years old.
He was widely criticized for not showing empathy for the victims of Epstein and for his decision to stay with at the financier’s New York home in December 2010. That came just months after Epstein had served 13 months of an 18 month sentence for procuring a minor for prostitution.
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Despite being removed from his hundreds of charitable patronages and his office being forced out of Buckingham Palace, Prince Andrew has been seen out and about with the 93-year-old monarch. In January, the mother and son attended a church service in Sandringham.
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Prince Andrew will also give his eldest daughter Princess Beatrice away when she marries Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi at St. James’s Palace in London on May 29, PEOPLE confirmed last month.
While Prince Andrew will not perform any more public duties as a member of the royal family, not much else will change at this time.
