"Got some questions about Virginia Roberts": Prince Andrew's email to Epstein's madam.

This post deals with sexual abuse and might be triggering for some readers.

In November 2019, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, insisted he has “no recollection” of meeting Virginia Giuffre (nee Roberts), the woman who claims to have been forced into unwanted sexual encounters with him by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Yet, according to emails obtained by the BBC, she was certainly on the Duke’s mind in 2015.

The correspondence, aired by the network’s Panorama program in December 2019, revealed that the royal contacted Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, about Giuffre at 5:50 a.m. on January 3, 2015.  Just hours after Giuffre named him in U.S. court papers relating to her sexual abuse claims against Epstein.

“Let me know when we can talk," the Duke allegedly wrote. "Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts."

Maxwell replied, “Have some info. Call me when you have a moment.”

The emails were uncovered by the BBC as part of its ongoing investigation into the Duke of York's association with Epstein, a billionaire New York financier who, prior to his August suicide, stood accused of operating a sex trafficking ring involving underage girls.

Virginia Giuffre's response

Virginia Giuffre alleges that she was trafficked by Epstein when she was 17 years old and forced to have sex with several of his rich and powerful friends, including Prince Andrew.

The Duke denied the claims in a November 2019 interview with BBC program, Newsnight: "I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever," he said.

In Monday's BBC Panorama program, Giuffre stuck by her allegations and appealed with the British public to back her.

Watch the trailer for Netflix documentary, Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich below. Post continues after video.

She gave details of a trip to London in 2001 when she said she was taken by Epstein to meet the Queen's son.

"He knows what happened. I know what happened, and there's only one of us telling the truth, and I know that's me," Giuffre tells BBC Panorama.

"I implore the people in the UK to stand up beside me, to help me fight this fight, to not accept this as being OK. This is not some sordid sex story. This is a story of being trafficked. This is a story of abuse and this is a story of your guys' royalty."

Giuffre further explains the details of her night with Prince Andrew, at one point saying he was "the most hideous dancer I've ever seen in my life."

She continued: "It was horrible, and this guy was sweating all over me. His sweat was like it was raining basically everywhere," she said. "I was just grossed out from it."

Giuffre recalls Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former associate, instructing her to have sex with Prince Andrew after a night at Tramp nightclub in London.

"In the car, Ghislaine tells me that I have to do for Andrew what I do for Jeffrey and that just made me sick."

As for the incident, Giuffre remembers: "It didn't last very long, the entire procedure.

"It was disgusting, he wasn’t mean, he said 'thanks' and got out and I was horrified and ashamed and felt dirty.

"The next day Ghislaine pats me on the back and says 'You did a really good job, you made him really happy'."

As she continued, tears began to roll down her face as she says, "It was a wicked time in my life, it was a really scary time.

"I had been abused by a member of the royal family... I wasn’t chained to the sink, but these powerful people were my chains. I didn’t know what could happen.

"I couldn’t comprehend how the highest levels of the government were allowing this to happen. Not only allowing it to happen but participating in it."

Giuffre, who says Prince Andrew had underage sex with her on two other occasions, added: "We were not even dignified as humans to them. We were there just as toys to be passed around."

Giuffre admitted that there may be a few inconsistencies within her account, saying "You are left with a foggy memory".

"I might be wrong on dates, I might be wrong on places sometimes, but one thing I can tell you is you never forget the face of someone who has heaved over you."

Prince Andrew's response

Andrew, 60, denies having any relationship with Giuffre, who was previously named Virginia Roberts.

In response to the excerpts of Giuffre's interview, a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation."

In November 2019, the prince gave an interview himself to the BBC in which he responded to Giuffre's claims that he forced her to have sex with him after a night out at Tramp nightclub in London in 2001.

Prince Andrew, the eighth in line to the throne, claimed he was at Pizza Express in Woking on the night of the alleged incident 18 years ago, meaning he couldn’t have slept with the teenager that night.

And as for Giuffre's claim that the prince was profusely sweating, he said he suffered from a medical condition that stopped him perspiring.

Despite insisting he has no recollection of meeting Virginia Giuffre, there is photographic evidence of the two meeting.

"I’m at a loss to explain this particular photograph," Prince Andrew said in the interview with BBC‘s Emily Maitlis.

Prince Andrew's interview was widely regarded as a disaster, provoking weeks of negative headlines and culminating in the Queen's second son stepping down from royal duties as charities and other organisations distanced themselves from him.

The prince was further criticised for failing to show sympathy for the victims of Epstein, who died by suicide in a US prison in August while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

"The people on the inside are going to keep coming up with these ridiculous excuses. Like his arm was elongated or the photo was doctored, or he came to New York to break up with Jeffrey Epstein. I mean come on I'm calling BS on this, because that's what it is," Giuffre said.

– With AAP.

Feature Image: BBC.

If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home.

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