PRINCE Andrew has been drawn into another humiliation as one of his wife Sarah Ferguson’s pals being sued of an alleged sex trafficking scheme.
It is another blow for the embattled couple as they seem to continuously find themselves rubbing shoulders with sordid sex fiends and people with links to dodgy dictators.
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have a host of strange connections
With their Royal lives already hanging by a thread, Andrew and Fergie faced a new blow over their links to Trammell Crow Jr.
The billionaire son of a US real estate mogul, Crow has been accused of being involved in a trafficking ring – something he strongly denies.
He is yet another person in the Duke and Duchesses orbit who has been drawn into scandal.
Andrew and Fergie continuously find themselves rubbing shoulders to a cast of sketchy characters.
And they’ve before been caught out themselves, with Andrew’s sex scandal and Fergie found to have once sold access to the Duke.
King Charles has not yet cut them off – but they could face the chop as Charles continues to reshape The Firm.
And their circle of friends certainly might not help the case.
Here are some of the figures linked to the couple as they battle to stay prominent members of the Royal Family.
Jeffrey Epstein & Ghislaine Maxwell
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell are convicted paedophiles
Prince Andrew pictured with trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre and Maxwell
Andrew and Fergie’s most notorious friendship was with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
It was an associatation which ended up with the Duke of York allegedly having sex with a trafficking victim aged just 17.
The Duke settled out of court with his accuser – but questions remain unanswered of the Royal’s relationship with Epstein and Maxwell.
Epstein was a millionaire financier who oversaw a sick web of trafficking that saw teenage girls abused by him and Maxwell.
Maxwell meanwhile – known as her boyfriend’s ‘Madam’ – was an old pal of Andrew’s and the daughter of disgraced newspaper boss Robert Maxwell.
Fergie also had links to Epstein – accepting £15,000 from him to cover some of her debts.
Epstein killed himself in prison in 2019, while Maxwell was caged for her crimes at the end of 2021.
Andrew has always denied the allegations against him.
Peter Nygard
Peter Nygard remains in jail amid a trafficking investigation
Andrew pictured walking alongside Nygard
Nygard poses with Beatrice, Eugenie and Fergie
Another pal of both Andrew and Fergie, the fashion tycoon was arrested in 2020 in a probe into the trafficking on teen girls.
The fashion mogul, 81, has been in custody ever since and is due to face court in September.
He is alleged to have ferried girls in his private jet – the “N-Force” – and abused them on his private island Nygard Cay.
Nygard has been charged with sex trafficking after he allegedly abused girls as young as 14.
Some 800 women have been questioned as the probe continues.
He hosted Andrew and Fergie at his luxurious state back in the year 2000.
The Libya Connection
Libyan gun-smuggler Tarek Kaituni, right, with his Dutch model ex-wife Lisa van Goinga
Andrew, third from left, invited Kaituni, far right, to Beatrice’s 21st birthday in 2009
Andrew is alleged to have had three meetings with brutal Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi and enjoyed a long-term friendship with convicted gun smuggler Tarek Kaituni.
Kaituni, who has US citizenship, would later brag of his influence over the Duke of York.
He allegedly helped set up secret meetings with Gaddafi.
Andrew, who enjoyed a four-day holiday in Tunisia with Kaituni in November 2008, short before visiting the dictator in Tripoli.
Before Andrew lost his trade role, Kaituni was invited to Princess Beatrice‘s 21st birthday party in Spain in August 2009, where he also gave her a diamond pendant worth £18,000.
He is pictured at the party with Kaituni and a bevvy of glamorous women.
The first known time Andrew visited Libya was in November 2007, where he waited three days for a meeting with Colonel Gaddafi, but faced an embarrassing snub.
However, he did get to meet the oil-rich country’s prime minister, as well as business leaders, politicians and – most importantly – the President’s son Saif Gaddafi.
Selman Turk
Selman Turk has been accused of a £40million fraud
Andrew shaking hands with Turk at the Pitch@Palace event
Turkish businessman Selman Turk , who is accused for £40million fraud, was handed an award by Andrew at the Pitch@Palace event in 2019.
The Duke is alleged to have received more than £1million from the businessman, in £750,000 that was described as a wedding gift for his daughter Beatrice.
It has been claimed Kaituni introduced the duo.
But later Turk claimed him and Andrew first met in the early 2010s – with the two have had “several” meetings and a “relationship”.
It is reported Fergie and the couple’s other daughter Beatrice have also received money from Turk.
Fergie reportedly had two dinners with Turk – and she was filmed praising him as a “wonderful man”.
Turk and Kaituni were also pictured taking a selfie together at what appears to be Frogmore House in February 2020.
And it was reported last year that Turk lived in a property owned by the Crown Estate.
Turk has denied allegations of fraud.
The Kazakh Connection
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, right, and Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev shake hands
Andrew shakes hands with Nazarbayev
Andrew pictured alongside Goga Ashkenazi
Prince Andrew also has connections to the ruling elite of Kazakhstan – many of which centre around the sale of his six bedroom love nest Sunninghill Park.
He flogged the garish pile to billionaire oligarch Timur Kulibayev, son-in-law of the former Kazakh dictator and Vladimir Putin ally Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Andrew is known to have been pals and even gone goose hunting with Nazarbayev.
Nazarbayev – who ruled the country for 30 years – has long been accused of being corrupt and has seen fallen out of favour, being stripped of honour titles back in January.
The price paid by Kulibayev for Andrew’s garish property was £3million over the asking price – raising many eyebrows.
No wrongdoing over the sale has ever been established – and the Palace has previously insisted there were “no side deals” and the sale was a “straight commercial transaction”.
The sale sale to Kulibayev was allegedly facilitated through their mutual friend, and mother of Timur’s son, the billionaire socialite Goga Ashkenazi.
The glamorous English-educated Kazakh socialite and businesswoman, reportedly enchanted the embattled Duke from the moment they met at a 2001 New Year’s Eve party in Phuket, Thailand.
Ilham Aliyev
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was also a good friend of Andrew
Prince Andrew also reportedly had a “close friendship” with Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev.
Aliyev – who remains in power – is seen as a dictator who has clung on as the country’s leader since 2003.
His oil-rich regime is alleged to have riggest elections, jailed opponents and overseen torture.
Yet, Andrew is believed to have repeatedly met the billionaire – including making a secret “private” visit back in 2014.
The Duke is reported to be known as “the dear guest” in the halls of power in Baku.
The two are believed to have met on at least 12 occasions.
