Prince Andrew Is Stepping Back From Public Duties After Disastrous Interview About Epstein Connections
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A Royal Controversy
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, is facing severe media scrutiny over his past dealings with deceased businessman and convicted sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein.
After Epstein's arrest and death, there have been inquiries into his past associates, which include Prince Andrew. According to The BBC, "Virginia Giuffre - then called Virginia Roberts - has said she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew between 2001 - when she was 17 - and 2002, in London, New York and Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands."
A Disastrous Interview
The BBC conducted an interview with Prince Andrew in order to hear his account of his dealings with Epstein, and it ended up being an unmitigated disaster.
When journalist Emily Maitlis asked him about his past dealings with Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew denied that he'd ever met her.
"It didn't happen. I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened. I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever."
When Maitlis mentioned that Giuffre mentioned that he was "profusely sweating" when they met in a nightclub in 2001 the night they first had sex, Prince Andrew claimed that he had a medical condition following his injury in the Falklands that caused him not to sweat.
"There’s a slight problem with the sweating, because I have a peculiar medical condition, which is that I don’t sweat, or I didn’t sweat at the time, and that was—was it—yes, I didn’t sweat at the time—"
The whole interview showed a frantic man who did not know how to tell the truth.
Stepping Back From The Public
Facing backlash and criticism following the interview, Prince Andrew announced that he would be taking a step back from his public duties as a member of the royal family.
"It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s worth and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support.
Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission."
Something tells me that he was told to take a step back, not that he asked to. This business with Epstein only makes the royal family look bad.
An Embarrassment To The Family
Prince Andrew's statement continued, promising to offer his support into the investigation of Epstein's crimes "if required."
"I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathize with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required. "
