In bizarre interview Prince Andrew can't recall meeting Jeffery Epstein's 'sex slave' Virginia Roberts, but does remember he went to Pizza Express
Prince Andrew has opened up in a 'no holds barred' interview about his relationship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein for the first time, also denying that he had sex with Virginia Roberts, now Virginia Giuffre, the financier's alleged 'sex slave'.
In an interview with BBC Newsnight on Saturday, the Duke of York was questioned about his links with Epstein who was found dead in his prison cell earlier this year, while he was being held on sex trafficking charges.
Andrew claimed he doesn't remember meeting Virginia and didn't spend time at Tramp Nightclub with her on March 10, 2001, in London. This was when she claims the two of them first had sex. He denied that he ever slept with Virginia on three different occasions -- as has been alleged by her -- claiming that their alleged first encounter in 2001 didn't happen because he had taken Princess Beatrice, his daughter, to Pizza Express in Woking for a party. He claimed that he also spent the rest of the day together with his daughter.
There is a photograph widely published, showing Andrew with his arm around Virginia who was then just 17-years-old that same evening with Epstein's friend Ghislaine Maxwell in the background. Andrew's supporters, on the other hand, question its authenticity.
In the interview, the Duke of York said, "I was with the children and I’d taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at I suppose sort of 4 or 5 in the afternoon. And then because the Duchess was away, we have a simple rule in the family that when one is away the other one is there. I was on terminal leave at the time from the Royal Navy so, therefore, I was at home."
When Andrew was questioned on why he remembers that particular day so clearly, he said, "Because going to Pizza Express in Woking is an unusual thing for me to do, a very unusual thing for me to do. I’ve only been to Woking a couple of times and I remember it weirdly distinctly."
Questioned about the photograph and if it's authentic, Andrews said that public display of affection is something he would do, but refused to confirm whether he thought the photograph was fake as some of his friends have postulated.
"Oh it’s definitely me, I mean that’s a picture of me. I don’t believe it’s a picture of me in London because when I go out in London I wear a suit and a tie. That’s what I would describe as my traveling clothes if I’m going to go overseas. There’s plenty of photographs of me dressed in that sort of kit but not there," Andrew said.
Sources close to the Duke claim that there something wrong with the picture as his hand around Virginia's waist is not looking right.