For years, Prince Andrew, the Queen’s second son, faced questions about his friendship with the American financier Jeffrey Epstein. In 2008, Epstein had pleaded guilty in Florida to sex offences involving a minor. Andrew continued to see him afterwards, including a stay at Epstein’s New York home in 2010.
In August 2019, Epstein died in a jail cell in New York while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Attention turned once more to his famous friends. Virginia Giuffre had alleged that, as a teenager, she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sexual encounters with Andrew. Andrew has always strongly denied the allegations.
Hoping to clear his name, Andrew agreed to an interview with BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis. It was recorded inside Buckingham Palace and broadcast on 16 November 2019.
The interview was widely seen as a disaster. Andrew said he had no recollection of ever meeting Giuffre. He disputed details of her account. He said that, because of an experience during the Falklands War, he had a medical condition that meant he could not sweat at the time. He also said that on a key date he had taken his daughter to a birthday party at a Pizza Express in Woking.
Many viewers were struck by what he did not say. He was criticised for failing to show sympathy for Epstein’s victims, and for describing his decision to stay with Epstein as conduct unbecoming of a member of the royal family, rather than expressing deeper regret.
The reaction was swift. Businesses and charities began to distance themselves from him. On 20 November 2019, just four days after the broadcast, Andrew announced that he was stepping back from public duties for the foreseeable future.
It was only the beginning. In 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit against him in New York. In January 2022, the Queen removed his military titles and royal patronages. Weeks later, Andrew settled the case out of court, without admitting liability.
In 2025, he lost his remaining royal titles. The interview he had hoped would clear his name is now remembered as one of the most damaging television appearances ever made by a member of the royal family.