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Prince Andrew, left, has previously been criticised for his affiliation with Jeffrey Epstein
Prince Andrew has defended his ragged friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, announcing “at no stage” did he “sight or suspect” any legal behaviour.
Epstein, 66, took his dangle existence in a jail cell this month while attempting ahead to trial on intercourse trafficking expenses.
In an announcement, the Duke of York acknowledged he wanted to “elaborate the facts” spherical his “ragged affiliation or friendship” with the US financier.
He acknowledged it used to be a “mistake” to meet Epstein after he left reformatory in 2010.
“In the future of the time I knew him, I observed him infrequently and doubtlessly no bigger than preferrred just a few times a 365 days,” the prince acknowledged.
“I genuinely receive stayed in a resolution of his residences. At no stage throughout the restricted time I spent with him did I sight, glance or suspect any behaviour of the kind that therefore ended in his arrest and conviction.”
The duke – who acknowledged he first met Epstein in 1999 – added that he had “enormous sympathy” for all these tormented by Epstein’s behaviour.
“His suicide has left many unanswered questions and I acknowledge and sympathise with each person who has been affected and needs some invent of closure.”
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Prince Andrew and his mother, the Queen, travelled to church collectively earlier this month
Allegations in opposition to Epstein surfaced in 2005 when the oldsters of a 14-365 days-veteran woman told police in Florida he had molested their daughter at his Palm Beach home.
The financier used to be accused of paying underage girls to have confidence intercourse acts at his Novel york and Florida mansions between 2002 and 2005.
A controversial secret plea deal observed him plead guilty to a lesser fee of soliciting a minor for prostitution. He got an 18-month reformatory sentence and used to be launched on probation in 2010.
Prince Andrew used to be photographed with Epstein in Novel York’s Central Park in slack 2010 – after the magnate used to be launched from jail.
Pictures has also emerged reportedly exhibiting the prince at Epstein’s mansion in Novel york in 2010.
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In the explain, launched on Saturday, the duke added: “I genuinely receive acknowledged previously that it used to be a mistake and an error to sight him after his liberate in 2010 and I will preferrred reiterate my remorse that I used to be unsuitable to think that what I assumed I knew of him used to be evidently now now not the explicit individual, given what we now know.
“Right here is an advanced time for each person eager and I’m at a loss so that you may maybe maybe esteem or show conceal Mr Epstein’s day by day life.
“I deplore the exploitation of any human being and would now now not condone, participate in, or support this kind of behaviour.”
In July 2019 Epstein used to be charged in Novel York with further allegations of intercourse trafficking and conspiracy and used to be due to face trial next 365 days. He pleaded now now not guilty to the total expenses but if convicted, used to be going by up to 45 years in reformatory.
Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein: Key dates
Feb 1999 – The Duke of York acknowledged he first met Epstein, a rich hedge fund manager, in 1999. Prince Andrew reportedly flew with Epstein on his internal most Gulfstream jet in February that 365 days, in accordance with the On day by day foundation Replicate.The On day by day foundation Mail also reported that 10 months earlier Epstein’s logbook confirmed he had flown to the comparable location to meet the the duke’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
June 2000 – Epstein and his British ex-female friend Ghislaine Maxwell were among a important individual-studded guest listing at a party hosted by the Queen in June 2000. The duke became fragment of the social circle of Ms Maxwell – any individual who Epstein later described as his ally. The duke accompanied Ms Maxwell – daughter of the slack newspaper magnate, Robert Maxwell – at internal most parties and celeb capabilities both within the UK and within the US that 365 days.
December 2000 – The then 40-365 days-veteran prince, threw Ms Maxwell a surprise party at Sandringham, with Epstein among the mates.
December 2010 – The duke met Epstein in Novel York’s Central Park after the magnate used to be launched from reformatory. Prince Andrew later acknowledged the assembly used to be a mistake and an error of judgement. Buckingham Palace acknowledged he had no contact with Epstein after that.
July 2011 – The palace confirmed the duke would stand down as the UK’s substitute envoy following criticism of his friendship with Epstein.
2 Jan 2015 – In step with the duke being named in courtroom papers as fragment of a US civil case in opposition to Epstein, the palace acknowledged: “Any advice of impropriety with underage minors is categorically spurious.” In step with the Guardian, one in every of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Roberts – now Virginia Giuffre – acknowledged she used to be ordered to give the prince “no matter he required”. Buckingham Palace acknowledged: “This relates to courtroom cases within the United States to which the Duke of York is now now not a party.”
3 Jan 2015 – A 2d explain issued two days later, after further main functions about allegations were published in Sunday newspapers, stressed claims made relating to the duke were “with out any foundation”. “It’s emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any invent of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is fake and with out foundation.”
22 Jan 2015 – Prince Andrew spoke relating to the claims at a World Economic Forum reception in Davos, Switzerland. He acknowledged: “I stunning delight in to reiterate and to reaffirm the statements that receive already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace. My focal point is on my work.”
August 2019 – In step with questions following Mr Epstein’s subsequent arrest in 2019, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace acknowledged: “The Duke of York has been appalled by the most up-to-date reports of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged crimes. His Royal Highness deplores the exploitation of any human being and the advice he would condone, participate in or support this kind of behaviour is abhorrent.”
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Reuters
The Duke of York used to be UK substitute envoy for 10 years
The Queen’s third exiguous one quit his role as a UK substitute envoy in 2011 after the fallout from the pictures of him and Epstein in 2010.
The duke had been appointed the UK’s special representative for world substitute and funding in 2001 after retiring from the Royal Navy.
He labored for – but did now now not receive a wage from – the authorities physique UK Alternate & Funding (UKTI), which reports jointly to the Foreign Spot of business and the Division for Alternate, Innovation and Skills.
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