[ 2015-01-11 ]

The Duke of York: fresh controversy over purchase of Verbier ski chalet

Andrew admits ‘I have been foolish’ over friendship with Epstein
A week of torrid headlines has made the Duke of
York feel more than ever that he was a “fool”
over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Along
with his regrets, however, he also feels
frustrated because of his inability to fight back
against allegations against him, according to
sources close to the duke.

Prince Andrew has strongly denied allegations made
in court papers in Florida that he had sex with a
17-year-old girl supplied to him by Epstein, a
businessman who was later convicted of a sex
offence.

The duke, who previously conceded that he made
“an error of judgement” when he stayed with
Epstein after his release from jail in New York in
2010, acknowledges that the allegations that he
had sex three times with the girl, who has been
named as Virginia Roberts, have been “deeply
uncomfortable” for the royal family.

A source close to the Duke told The Sunday
Telegraph: “It would be crass and disingenuous
to suggest that he has been unaffected by this.

“He is watching the news and reading the
headlines and even though the friendship with
Jeffrey Epstein was acknowledged as being unwise
back in 2011, the duke has clearly had a long time
this week for the consequences of that friendship
to further sink in. More than ever, he can see how
foolish it was.”

Meanwhile the duke’s private life came under a
different kind of focus at the weekend when it was
reported that Andrew and his former wife have
bought a Swiss chalet in Verbier.

The seven-bedroom property is said to be worth
between £10 million and £13 million, although it
is not clear how much they paid. The pair, who
live separate lives under the same roof in
Windsor, are reported to have taken out a joint
mortgage on the property as a “family
investment”.

While the duke has, through Buckingham Palace,
issued three statements explicitly and
unambiguously denying the sex allegations, his
aides have not answered any detailed questions
about his relationship with Epstein or his
contacts with Ms Roberts.

It has also been made clear that he will not be
suing anyone in an attempt to clear his name.

His stance is in contrast to that of the New York
lawyer Alan Dershowitz, who is countersuing over
similar claims that he had sex with Ms Roberts and
has issued a detailed rebuttal of the allegations.
He has suggested that the duke do the same.

The source said: “Clearly there is frustration
on the duke’s part. There is no immediate legal
channel through which he is required or able to
respond to the claims.

“He hasn’t been accused by prosecutors of any
crime, and of course, look at Alan Dershowitz, he
is taking legal action against her lawyers and has
petitioned to become a party in the case to say
what he knows, but he isn’t the fifth in line to
the throne of the UK.

“What alternative does that leave him? He could
come out and give an interview to fight it in the
court of public opinion, but the denials have
already been categorical and cover every detailed
allegation that has been put to him.

“He knows that anything he said would be picked
apart and he is mindful that he has already got
into unprecedented territory in terms of the
statements made by Buckingham Palace [in which he
denied having sex with Miss Roberts].

“If a stream of allegations appear and are
answered point by point through the media, he
knows that will only prolong and amplify a story
that has been deeply uncomfortable for the royal
family.”

* The former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies
Campbell is leading calls from MPs for the duke to
stay away from the World Economic Forum at Davos,
where he is expected to host a reception. Sir
Menzies, who is backed by some Labour MPs, said:
“This is a time for discretion rather than
distraction.”

Source - The Times(UK)

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