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THE UK’S PRINCE Andrew has come under heightened scrutiny ahead of the publication of accuser Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir.
Giuffre’s memoir, Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, was written before she died earlier this year and is set to be released tomorrow.
In the memoir, Giuffre claimed she was forced to have sex with Jeffrey Epstein’s circle of elite clients, including, she alleged, Andrew, who officially relinquished his honourary titles on Friday.
Giuffre shared disturbing details about Epstein’s sex trafficking network, alleging that for years she was lent out to “scores of wealthy, powerful people”.
“I was habitually used and humiliated – and in some instances, choked, beaten, and bloodied. I believed that I might die a sex slave,” Guiffre wrote.
The Metropolitan Police said yesterday that it is investigating claims that Andrew gave Giuffre’s date of birth and social security number to his close protection officer in 2011 and asked him to obtain information on the young woman.
The allegation that Andrew had staff investigate Guiffre in 2011 directly contradicts his claim in 2019 that he had “no recollection of ever meeting [Guiffre]“.
Andrew is also said to have emailed the late Queen Elizabeth’s then-deputy press secretary and told him of his request to his bodyguard, and also suggested Giuffre had a criminal record.
Andrew was caught in another contradiction last week when The Mail on Sunday and The Sun on Sunday both published details of an email Andrew sent to Epstein on 28 February 2011, the day after the Mail on Sunday first published the now infamous image of Andrew with his arm around a young Giuffre.
“It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it,” Andrew reportedly wrote. He is said to have ended the email “Otherwise keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!”
In his 2019 Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, Andrew had insisted that he had ceased all contact with Epstein in 2010.
The Mail on Sunday also reported on documents yesterday from the US investigation that showed Epstein claiming to have financially supported Prince Andrew’s former wife Sarah Ferguson for 15 years, potentially implicating further members of the Royal Family into the Epstein investigations.
In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, Andrew announced on Friday that he would be voluntarily giving up use of his titles, which includes Duke of York and membership of the Order of the Garter, the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in Britain.
He said the decision was made after a discussion with the UK’s King Charles and his immediate and wider family.
“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life,” he said.
“‘With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
The Telegraph reported that Charles forced his brother to give up the titles amid fears the scandal could worsen.
Andrew will still retain his title as a prince and will still legally retain all titles, despite relinquishing public use. Royal titles can only be legally removed by parliament
Several British MPs are now calling for Andrew to be formally stripped of their honours through an Act of Parliament.
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