Queen and Prince Charles hold crisis talks over Andrew's future as Scotland Yard looks to reopen Epstein probe
The Queen has reportedly held crisis talks with Prince Charles regarding the scandal Prince Andrew is embroiled in over his friendship with late billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The emergency meeting reportedly took place after Andrew was criticized by the FBI for offering 'zero-cooperation' with their probe into Epstein's alleged pedophile ring.
The Queen and her husband took time away from estate business at Sandringham for the said meeting.
"Both had hoped the Duke of York could perhaps be rehabilitated back into public life in time but that is now looking increasingly unlikely," a royal source told The Sun.
There is a "growing frustration" among members of the royal family due to the disgrace and unwanted attention brought on by Andrew's ties to Epstein.
On Wednesday, January 29, the Duke of York furiously denied claims made by New York state attorney Geoffrey Berman that he was not cooperating with the US probe. Instead, he reportedly told friends he would be willing to contribute but "hadn't been approached yet". However, now the Prince is facing increased scrutiny over the Epstein case after it emerged the Met Police could reopen their own investigation into the pedophile financier, who was found dead in his New York prison cell last year.
Berman reportedly stood outside Epstein's New York mansion earlier this week and accused Prince Andrew of not responding to the FBI or US prosecutors after they requested him multiple times for an interview over his ties with the billionaire.
Met police controversially dropped their sex-trafficking probe in 2016. But according to documents obtained by The Sun through a freedom of information request, the probe is now at a "pre-investigation" phase once again.
"There has been a renewed focus in Epstein's friends and associates which could potentially instigate whether criminal and/or civil investigations against these individuals," authorities said in a document, adding that the probe could be restarted "in light of the current revelations and further victims coming forward."
Scotland Yard first examined allegations made by Virginia Roberts Giuffre against the prince in 2015, but the Met said in November they did not pursue a full investigation.
"Having closely examined the available evidence, the decision was made that this would not progress to a full investigation," a statement said.
According to Giuffre, she had sex with the Duke of York three times -- once in London when she was 17, once in New York, and finally at Epstein's private Caribbean island 'Little St James'.
However, her claims were struck out by a judge for being "immaterial and impertinent."
Having said that, Prince Andrew has "emphatically" denied having any relationship "in any form" with the mother-of-three, who now lives in Cairns, Australia. Furthermore, he also does not recall taking a picture with her in 2001.