Prince Andrew is facing heat after it was revealed he had ‘gaps’ in his diary and allegedly went unaccompanied for several hours at a time when he visited New York in 2001.
WATCH: Prince Andrew confused during questioning about Virginia Roberts
A former aide on the US trip told the Telegraph there were gaps in his itinerary but was unsure if the Duke met with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Court Circular – the official public diary of the royal family – shows Andrew flew to New York from London on the morning of April 9 2001, landing at around midday and had a free afternoon.
On the same day, Virginia Roberts flew into a private airport near New York on Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’ private jet – which later flew to his US Virgin Islands hideaway spot. Prince Andrew had nothing in his diary for his first day in New York. The royal aide told the Telegraph he has “no idea” if the Duke wet to meet Epstein.
It’s also reported that Prince Andrew flew to Boston on April 10 for a royal engagement, but then flew back to New York on April 11. His aides then transferred onto a flight back to the UK – without Prince Andrew.
It is unknown what Prince Andrew was doing over the eight days he spent in New York on his own, according to The Daily Mail. Whether he flew to his next royal engagement in South Korea from the UK, the US or elsewhere also remains unknown.
During Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview, he was asked whether he slept with Virginia on the New York trip:
“I think that the date we have for that [the New York encounter] shows that I was in Boston or I was in New York the previous day and I was at a dinner for The Outward Bound Trust in New York;
“Then I flew up to Boston the following day and then on the day that she says that this occurred, they’d already left to go to the island before I got back from Boston. So I don’t think that could have happened at all.”
The Telegraph‘s source said it was impossible to pinpoint his movements on the trip as it had taken place ‘a long time ago.’ The aide also defended the Duke, saying he wouldn’t have slept with Roberts.
“The Duke is absolutely not capable of this. Epstein is clearly horrible but I’m confident (of the Duke’s innocence). It’s inconceivable,” the aide said.
“The Duke’s words in his interview speak for themselves,” a spokesman for Buckingham Palace told MailOnline.
“It is emphatically denied that The Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.”
Prince Andrew’s trainwreck British TV interview about his involvement in the Epstein sex scandal has been widely criticised.
As a result, the Duke announced he will step back from public life, saying his association with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein is ‘a major disruption’ to the Royal Family.
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