Photo: HANDOUT/US District Court - Southern Dis/AFP via Getty
Ghislaine Maxwellhas claimed that a widely published photo ofPrince Andrewwith his arm aroundVirginia Roberts Giuffreis a “fake.”
Referencing “the fake” photo in the interview snippet, Maxwell said, “I don’t believe it’s real for a second. In fact, I’m sure it’s not. There’s never been an original, and further, there is no photograph. I’ve only ever seen a photocopy of it.”
Prince Andrew, 62, hassimilarly claimedthat the picture was doctored. In hissit-downwith theBBCin November 2019, the Duke of York claimed he had “no recollection” of meeting Giuffre and “absolutely no memory of that photograph being taken.”
Backlash erupted after “Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal: The Newsnight Interview” aired, and Andrew stepped back from his public duties a few days later.
“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 work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support,” Prince Andrew said at the time. “Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”
Prince Andrew; Virginia Roberts Giuffre.Alexander Koerner/Getty; Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty
Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. In September 2021, his attorney Andrew B. Brettler of Lavely & Singerdefended his client’s innocenceat a virtual hearing, describing Giuffre’s lawsuit as “baseless, non-viable and potentially unlawful.”
Separately, Maxwell wasfound guiltyof sex trafficking in connection with Epstein in December 2021 and sentenced to prison in June 2022.
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2005.Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty
In January 2022, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan refused to grant the royal’s motion to dismiss the case because of a $500,000 settlement reached between Giuffre and Epstein in 2009.
The day after, Buckingham Palace announced thatQueen Elizabethhad stripped her son of his military titles and patronages amid the sexual assault lawsuit
“With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen,” the palace said in a statement.
“The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
Prince Andrew.Chris Jackson/WPA Pool/Getty Images
“Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre’s charity in support of victims' rights,” the document stated. “Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks.”
source: people.com
