On her day, Elizabeth II supported him. The monarch helped her son pay the more than 14 million euros that he had to deliver to Virginia Giuffre.
Being the son of Elizabeth II did not prevent him from being in the spotlight when it came to light that he was involved in the Epstein case. However, although discreetly, he did have some protection from his mother. But now that the British sovereign is dead and the summary has been lifted on the documents related to the controversial matter of trafficking and abuse, the big question - still without answers - is who will save Prince Andrew this time?
The declassification of documents is a consequence of a defamation lawsuit filed in 2015 by Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein's main accusers, against the businessman's ex-lover and partner, Ghislaine Maxwell (62). On its pages, victims of assaults and the names of witnesses, friends and people who collaborated with the deceased magnate appear.
The list was published last Wednesday, January 3, and has attracted all the media attention, because it includes the names of well-known figures from all sectors, who are related to the billionaire. Some have just come to light. Others, like that of Prince Andrew (63 years old), were already known. The figure of the Duke of York, however, is once again at the center of the controversy.
The documents in question state that Prince Andrew was part of an orgy with minors and touched a woman's breast while he was sitting on the couch in Epstein's apartment in Manhattan. Among other things, it is also added that Maxwell facilitated the Duke of York's acts of abuse by acting as Epstein's 'madam'.
The information is detailed in the British newspaper Daily Mail, which a little over three years ago published a four-part series on the accusations faced by the Duke of York.
The son of Queen Elizabeth II is mentioned around 70 times in almost a thousand pages of interviews and transcripts. For this reason, he has been denounced by the anti-monarchist group Republic, which is seeking a criminal investigation into the case.
"I ask the Metropolitan Police to reopen this case, I ask MPs to debate this matter in Parliament and I ask Carlos to make a public statement, in front of the press to respond to these accusations and what they say about the monarchy," said Graham Smith, CEO of Republic. "The question that many people will ask is simple: if the accused was anyone else, do we believe that he would not have been investigated and prosecuted?" he questions.
Although the involvement of Andrés de York in the Epstein case is not new, the fact that the summary was lifted on the documents related to the controversial matter represents a new setback for the banished royal.
Just a few days ago he was seen walking with the monarch and the rest of the Royal Family towards the Christmas mass, as if it were a "gradual rehabilitation within the monarchy." But now, when the documents related to the Epstein case have come to light, it seems that there is no turning back. Charles III (75) would not grant him forgiveness and would keep him away, forever, from his royal duties.
So far, Buckingham Palace, which no longer speaks for the duke after he resigned as a senior royal in 2019 over his friendship with Epstein, has not commented on the documents. However, it is believed that given the controversial situation, Charles III will reinforce his intentions to keep the Duke of York in the background and out of Royal Lodge, where he had lived since 2003, to be transferred to a smaller residence with a lower status. Now, not even his brother will save Andrés.
In his day, Isabel II did support him. The monarch helped her son pay the more than 14 million euros that he had to deliver to Virginia Giuffre. The money -2.4 million euros- did not go to the Australian's bank accounts, but to the charity organization created by her, Victims Refuse Silence, to support victims of violence.
In February 2022, Elizabeth II was said to have agreed to help the Duke of York, as long as the payment was not made directly to Virginia Giuffre. Almost a month later, the case - which Prince Andrew always denied - was formally dismissed. Then the Duke of York would have paid the sum specified in the agreement.
