Prince Andrew ‘has no chance’ of working as senior royal after Epstein files - despite his hopes after Giuffre settlement
5 January 2024, 09:17 | Updated: 5 January 2024, 09:37
Prince Andrew has no chance of appearing again on Buckingham Palace's balcony, despite the prince looking for a way back after settling with Virginia Giuffre, Peter Hunt tells Nick Ferrari.
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"Toxicity is now floating around the British royal family" because of Prince Andrew's association with Jeffrey Epstein.
The royals are now "paying the price" of the scandal surrounding the prince, according to LBC's royal correspondent Peter Hunt.
Prince Andrew has repeatedly strongly denied any allegations against him.
Mr Hunt said the Duke of York, "Clearly has hope that he could map a way back to doing something with the royals," despite being named in the Epstein files 69 times.
He said: "I suspect there’s more prospect of me being a world figure skating than Prince Andrew appearing again on the Buckingham Palace balcony."
Mr Hunt added: "You do have to question the wisdom as to why" the royal family believed it wise for Prince Andrew to be out with the family speaking to the public at church on Christmas Day.
Expert: Royals are now 'paying the price' for Prince Andrew's reintegration
The newly released court files come from a 2015 defamation case brought by accuser Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell. That case was settled two years later.
The Duke of York settled Ms Giuffre's case against him, reportedly to the tune of several millions of pounds.
According to the new court documents, Prince Andrew is accused of taking part in an "underage orgy" on Jeffrey Epstein's island.
An accuser, referred to in the documents as Jane Doe 3, claims she was told to have sexual relations with the Duke of York while she was still a minor in three different locations - including Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands during an orgy with other underage girls.
Read more: The Prince, the Presidents and the King of Pop: Who is named in the Epstein files?
Anti-monarchy activist group Republic said they had reported Prince Andrew to the police and called for the Met to launch a criminal investigation into the Duke of York.
Several other notable names are mentioned in the papers, which a judge chose to release because a number of individuals have spoken to the press.
Former US president Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, magician David Copperfield, late physicist Stephen Hawking, model Naomi Campbell, and Star Wars creator George Lucas are among the names mentioned in the files.
