PRINCE Andrews no holds barred Newsnight interview was yesterday branded a car crash PR disaster.
Viewers were baffled when he claimed he did not recall meeting Virginia Roberts but could remember visiting Pizza Express the very day she says they romped in 2001.
Prince Andrew’s attempt at salvaging his reputation quickly turned into a ‘car crash PR disaster’
Royal experts were also dumbstruck by the 59-year-olds decision to appear on BBC to discuss his relationship with paedophile billionaire pal Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in August.
One critic called it a plane crashing into an oil tanker, causing a tsunami, triggering a nuclear explosion.
The interview room
Palace venue hinted at Queen’s approval
THE film starts with the Duke of York leading Emily Maitlis through Buckingham Palace to the huge South Drawing Room where both sat on gilded chairs for the interview.
He could have spoken to Maitlis in a BBC studio yet hosting the chat at the Palace gave the impression the Queen endorsed it.
Hosting the BBC interview at Buckingham Palace gave the impression the Queen endorsed it
In fact, Her Majesty only gave her approval a few days before the programme was to air.
Andrews brother Prince Charles and the Queens aides were said to have regarded his decision with incredulity and alarm.
Probe by U.S. cops
Duke FBI chat vow has ‘wriggle room’
THE Prince said he would be duty bound to help the FBIs probe into Epsteins crimes or testify in court if his lawyers agree.
Legal experts would have drilled him beforehand on a form of words that would sound like a commitment while still leaving the Duke with plenty of wriggle room.
Andrew says he is ‘duty bound’ to help the FBIs probe into his former friend’s crimes but legal experts have made sure that he still has plenty of ‘wriggle room’
Meanwhile, a source deemed a voluntary sit-down with the FBI unlikely.
They said: Hes not going to be travelling to America any time soon. The Palace just arent going to put him in that position.
Memories of Woking
Pizza trip recalled on sex allegation day
ANDREW had no recollection of Virginia Roberts and did not notice young women at Epsteins home because staff members walk around all the time at Royal palaces.
Yet he could recall exactly what he was doing on March 10, 2001 the day Virginia claimed she met him at nightclub Tramp before going on, she said, to sleep with him.
Somehow he couldn’t recall meeting Virginia, but he remembered the exact day he went to Pizza Express 18 years ago
He said he took daughter Beatrice that day to a party at Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey, and recalled it weirdly distinctly because he had never been there before.
Displays of affection
Other close-ups harm his ‘no hugs’ claim
WHEN questioned about the snap showing his arm around Virginias waist, the Duke said public displays of affection are not something that I do.
But we found shots of him with other women indicating otherwise.
Andrew told Maitlis ‘public displays of affection are not something that I do’ – even though snaps of him with women suggest otherwise
Virginia insisted the picture was of an original she took in the Belgravia home of then Epstein girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell in 2001.
She gave it to FBI investigators in 2011, along with 19 other images.
Andrew said the picture showed him in travelling clothes he claimed he would not have worn on a night out but there are snaps of him in near-identical get-up one evening in the city that year.
US journalist Sharon Churcher, who broke the story of Virginias claims, said: I dont believe she had the knowledge or means to fake a picture.
Drip-free zone
‘No sweat’ prince spotted perspiring
ANDREW tried to rubbish Virginias claims that he was sweating profusely when they danced at nightclub Tramp in 2001.
The prince claimed it was almost impossible for him to perspire because he had developed sweat-limiting condition anhidrosis following an adrenaline overdose.
The Duke claims it was ‘almost impossible’ for him to perspire but he was said to have been sweating after leaving a London club in 2000
Helicopter co-pilot Andrew said it happened when his Sea King chopper was shot at during the Falklands War in May, 1982. He said he had since overcome anhidrosis.
Yet Andrew was said to have been sweating after leaving a London club in 2000.
Sun doctor Carol Cooper said anhidrosis affects only a few thousand Brits a year.
She added: Usually adrenaline increases sweating, as anyone whos faced a threatening situation will know.
Dr Anuj Chaturvedi, of private London clinic HealthClic, added: If you stop sweating, youd be very unwell.
Epstein’s home
No need to stay at ‘house of depravity’
EPSTEINS 60million house of depravity in Manhattan was used by Andrew for four days in 2010 for the sheer convenience.
Paedophile Epstein had been released from jail five months earlier and Andrew met many US eminents through their friendship.
If Andrew knew many ‘US eminents’ why didn’t he stay with them, instead of disgraced Epstein?
Why didnt Andrew stay with one of them instead of the disgraced financier?
Alternatively, it is reasonable to assume that, had he looked, Andrew could have found a vacant hotel room in New York.
Lack of remorse
NSPCC patron, but no Epstein reproof
DURING the interview, the prince announced that he was the patron of the NSPCCs Full Stop campaign against child abuse so I knew what the things were to look for.
Yet there was no condemnation of shamed tycoons Epsteins behaviour or sympathy for his victims.
He called the billionaires behaviour unbecoming, to which Maitlis replied: Unbecoming? He was a sex offender.
The Duke of York adds: Yeah. Im sorry, Im being polite.
Pals with a paedo
Friendship not ‘close’ but trip to US to end it
ANDREW said he met Epstein through pal Ghislaine Maxwell and claimed they were not close and didnt spent much time together.
Yet Epstein was a guest at Windsor Castle and at Sandringham in 2000.
The Duke claims he and Epstein weren’t ‘close’ but he invited him to Princess Beatrices 18th birthday party at Windsor
In July, 2006 two months after a warrant was issued for Epsteins arrest for the alleged sexual assault of a minor Andrew invited him to Princess Beatrices 18th birthday party at Windsor.
Andrew, who said he knew nothing of the warrant, said he flew on Epsteins jet and stayed on his private island.
He visited Epstein in 2010, he said, to tell him it was inappropriate for them to be seen together after Epstein was convicted.
Andrew, seen left with Epstein in New York in 2011, said: Doing it over the telephone was the chickens way.
Yet many will think it odd that someone would travel so far to end a friend- ship unless the pal was close.
