Prince Andrew‘s links to the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein have been deeply damaging, and now royal sources claim that his mother, Queen Elizabeth is ‘concerned and distressed’ by the scandal.
The Duke of York has remained fairly quiet about the allegations that he was aware of the sex offender’s horrific ‘paedophile ring.’
His first statement was to deny all knowledge of the sexual abuse and his second was to express his regret over visiting former financier after his release from prison.
However, royal insiders told The Mail that the allegations have brought “a lasting whiff of scandal to the monarchy.”
WATCH: Sex slave’ Virginia Roberts claims Prince Andrew ‘knows what he’s done’
A close friend to the Queen told the Sunday Times:
“You’ve got a serious crime linked to the kind of behaviour towards women that people feel particularly strongly about at the moment.
“Andrew’s association with [Epstein] is deeply damaging and he needs to deal with it.”
The scandal has pulled Prince Andrew away from many members of the royal family.
The Mail reported that he did not join his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson (who reportedly escaped to Spain with the Duke amidst the controversy) in attending Ellie Goulding’s wedding in York.
Last week, New Idea learned that Princess Beatrice is facing the possibility that she might not even walk down the aisle with her father by her side, with rumours of her upcoming engagement to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi intensifying.
“Bea is seriously considering not inviting her father to the wedding because of all the Epstein drama,” a source close to the royal tells us. “It’s all such a messy and disgraceful affair and Bea hates that her father is tied up in it all and she doesn’t want that drama ruining her wedding.”
The allegations being made against Prince Andrew are horrific, and growing by the day.
One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, alleged the businessman forced her to have sex with a number of his high-flying friends while she was underage, including, she says, Prince Andrew.
And while the photos of Prince Andrew and Roberts appeared damning, The Mail reported that he has assured the Queen that she was not recruited by the financier for sex.
“The Duke of York has been appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged crimes,” said Buckingham Palace, on behalf of Prince Andrew.
“His Royal Highness deplores the exploitation of any human being and the suggestion he would condone, participate in or encourage any such behaviour is abhorrent.”
WATCH: Footage emerges of Prince Andrew inside Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion
The negative media attention on Prince Andrew does not appear to be dissipating any time soon, as those linked to Epstein are said to be facing charges.
Following Epstein’s death, Attorney General Bill Barr promised to continue the sex-trafficking case against “any co-conspirators.”
Epstein’s madam Ghislaine Maxwell is believed to be the first who could face charges for procuring underage girls for Epstein and managing the complex logistics of his perverse crimes – allegations which she denies.