Witness says Virginia Giuffre told her about sleeping with Prince Andrew in 2001

One of the witnesses in UK socialite Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking case, Carolyn Andriano, has claimed that Virginia Giuffre told the former in 2001 that she slept with Prince Andrew. While Queen Elizabeth II’s second son has categorically denied Giuffre’s allegations, a new challenge emerged for the Duke of York as Andriano made the revelations in an interview with The Daily Mail. Giuffre has claimed that she was forced to have sexual intercourse with the Duke of York when she was 17 at the instruction of her abuser, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. 

Apart from Prince Andrew’s dismissing Giuffre’s claims, his lawyers have been urging a US judge to dismiss the civil suit against him brought by her. Andriano, who was 14 at the time and was living in Florida, told The Daily Mail, that she was texted by Giuffre in 2001 from London claiming that she slept with the Prince. Andriano said that “[Giuffre] said, ‘I got to sleep with him’”.

It is to note that the latest accusations against the British royal came after 35-year-old Andriano waived her legal right to anonymity in order to reveal the full story of her being groomed for sexual assault from ages 14 to 17 at convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s Florida’s mansion. Andriano, last month, had testified at New York court against Maxwell and had opted for anonymity. Maxwell, who is known to be friends with Prince Andrew and longtime lover of Epstein, was convicted on five out of six charges of sex trafficking young girls. 

Now, in an interview with The Daily Mail, Andriano recalled that in 2001, Giuffre texted her saying: “You’ll never guess who I’m with… ” Andriano replied: “Who?” Andriano told the Mail: “[Giuffre] said, ‘I’m in London with Jeffrey and Maxwell and Prince Andrew.’ The witness in Maxwell’s case further added, “She said they were going to have dinner. I kind of didn’t believe her, but I had no reason not to. I thought it was far-fetched but, then again, she knew wealthy people and had been to fancy parties and stuff like that.”

Andriano also recalled that when she asked Giuffre if she had been to the palace, the latter replied, ‘I got to sleep with him’. Andriano said, “She [Giuffre] didn’t seem upset about it. She thought it was pretty cool.”

Giuffre would refuse out-of-court settlement with Prince Andrew: Report

Meanwhile, Prince Andrew’s accuser Virginia Giuffre would refuse more than £3.7million or $5 million if offered by Duke of York, reported The Telegraph. According to the report, Queen Elizabeth II’s second son is apparently considering selling his £17 million ($23.1 million) Swiss ski lodge since the monarch refused to cover his legal fees. Citing an insider, the report stated that Giuffre will refuse an out-of-court settlement. Giuffre has claimed that she was forced to have sexual intercourse with the Duke of York at the behest of her abuser, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. 

Image: AP