(London) Prince Andrew’s renunciation of his royal title, after new revelations about his links with American sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein, “proves right” his main accuser Virginia Giuffre, his family said.
Prince Andrew, aged 65, renounced his title of Duke of York on Friday under pressure from his brother, King Charles III, who wishes to turn the page on this scandal which has tarnished the reputation of the British monarchy for years.
Virginia Giuffre, who accused the prince of molesting her when she was 17 and committed suicide last April, would be “very proud” of the decision, her brother Sky Roberts told the BBC.
“We shed a lot of tears of joy and sadness,” he said Friday, “because in many ways this proves Virginia right.”
His brother also said he was in favor of discussing with the British Parliament or even with King Charles III, to “present the evidence that seems available to us to continue to make his voice heard”.
“It is very important that the world knows how much of a hero she was, but also how much remains to be discovered” about the Epstein affair, found dead in prison in 2019, added Mr. Roberts.
Andrew, who withdrew from public life in 2019 after an embarrassing television interview in which he defended his friendship with Epstein, will only retain his title of prince.
He has always denied accusations of sexual assault and avoided a trial in New York by paying millions of dollars to Virginia Giuffre.
PHOTO ARCHIVES AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell
But other revelations came out this week in the British press, affirming in particular that the prince, who assured in 2019 that he had cut all ties with Jeffrey Epstein in December 2010, had lied, and remained in contact with the American financier.
Virginia Giuffre killed herself on April 25 at the age of 41 on her farm in Western Australia.
His damning posthumous book for Prince Andrew, extracts of which were published this week in the press, will be released next week.
“(Andrew) believed that sleeping with me was his right,” she says, saying she was introduced to the prince in March 2001 when she was in London with Ghislaine Maxwell, companion and accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein.
