Prince Andrew finds funds to maintain Royal Lodge as knowledgeable expresses ‘concern’ about previous contacts
A Royal expert has raised concerns over Prince Andrew’s use of business contacts acquired through his ‘lucrative connections’ years after Jeffrey Epstein’s death.
Andrew Lownie, currently penning a joint biography on the Duke and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, expressed his apprehension following news that Andrew has secured the necessary funds to remain at Royal Lodge.
Mr Lownie stated: “As the Duke himself admitted in his Newsnight interview, Jeffrey Epstein introduced him to useful business contacts. He also developed lucrative connections in Central Asia and the Middle East during his ten years as special representative for trade and investment.”
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He said: “There have long been concerns about how he has since used those contacts. Now he is no longer a working member of the royal family, there is far less scrutiny of his business activities – but it is an area that needs to be looked at.”
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Earlier this year, court files suggested Prince Andrew, 64, had spent several weeks at the Florida mansion of sex offender and financier Epstein. The claim was from court documents of a video-taped interview under oath in 2009 with Jeffrey Epstein’s former housekeeper Juan Alessi.
His alleged relationship with Epstein has led to the ongoing situation known as “the siege of Royal Lodge,” where Andrew has refused to leave his royal residence located in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire.
However, according to The Times, King Charles’s patience with his brother has gradually “ran out” over the past year. The monarch requested his brother to vacate the estate, offering him Frogmore Cottage, the former residence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as an alternative.
(Image: BBC.com)
Despite this, the Duke of York remained unyielding. Dad-of-two Andrew reportedly enjoyed “daily massages” at Epstein’s property, the court files claim from Mr Alessi’s interview.
The shock details were revealed in legal docs this year linked to a 2015 lawsuit lobbed against Ghislaine Maxwell by Epstein’s accuser, Virginia Giuffre. She is one of the many claiming Epstein preyed on them across his various lush properties.
Giuffre alleges she was offered a role to become Epstein’s masseuse when she was just 17 – a role that ultimately led to Epstein forcing her into sexual acts. However, the Duke vehemently denies all allegations against him.
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