Prince Andrew mentioned 69 times in court papers
Prince Andrew is facing renewed pressure to be punished and have his royal title removed after new court papers named him 69 times in relation to associates of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Duke of York had previously been stripped of his royal roles and paid millions of pounds to sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre two years ago. However, he has recently made a return to public life, appearing with the Royal Family on Christmas Day. The release of the court papers has led to calls for King Charles to take further action and force his brother out of his residence at the 31-room Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Allegations of underage orgies and sexual abuse
The newly released legal documents include detailed claims that Prince Andrew took part in an "underage orgy" and groped a woman's breast while she sat on his lap. The papers also allege that an underage girl was forced to have sexual relations with Andrew at three different locations, including Epstein's private island. These allegations have been vehemently denied by Prince Andrew, and his supporters argue that the documents merely highlight the extent of Epstein's connections with powerful individuals.
Calls for King Charles to cut ties with his brother
Royal commentators and experts are urging King Charles to sever all ties with Prince Andrew in light of the new allegations. It is suggested that Andrew's continued involvement in royal life is a liability and that the scandal surrounding him shows no signs of dissipating. Norman Baker, a former Lib Dem Home Office minister, has called for the issue to be resolved once and for all and for Andrew to be removed from the public eye.
New evidence and police investigation
The newly released court papers include testimony from individuals such as Johanna Sjoberg, who describe encounters with Prince Andrew and Epstein. Sjoberg claims that she and another woman were seated on Andrew's lap while a puppet with the prince's name on it was placed on their laps. The documents also allege that Maxwell, Epstein's associate, facilitated Andrew's acts of sexual abuse. Despite the shocking revelations, friends of Andrew argue that the documents do not reveal anything new and instead focus on Epstein's connections with other powerful figures.
Pressure on the Metropolitan Police to investigate
With the release of these new allegations, calls have been made for the Metropolitan Police to interview Prince Andrew regarding the assault claims. Nigel Cawthorne, author of a book on Prince Andrew, Epstein, and Maxwell, believes that there is more evidence emerging from the documents that warrants police investigation. It is worth noting that the police dropped their investigation into Virginia Giuffre's allegations in October 2021, and Andrew paid her millions of pounds to avoid a trial.
Prince Andrew and Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the matter.
