LONDON (AP) 鈥� Former Prince Andrew saw his reputation destroyed six years ago and became the butt of internet jokes when he gave a disastrous interview to the BBC about his relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
He鈥檚 unlikely to take that risk again even as Prime Minister Keir Starmer, U.S. Congress members and lawyers representing Epstein鈥檚 victims call for him to tell investigators what he knows about Epstein and his network of rich and powerful friends.
鈥淚f you view the Newsnight evidence as a precedent, then who knows what Andrew would say or how he would come across in what would be some very, very hostile questioning 鈥� far (more) hostile than he faced from Emily Maitlis,鈥欌�� Craig Prescott, an expert on constitutional law and the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London, said, referring to the 2019 BBC interview. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very difficult to see how that is, in a sense, in the interests of Andrew to do that voluntarily.鈥�
The pressure for Andrew to testify is growing after the latest release of documents from the U.S. Justice Department鈥檚 investigation into Epstein revealed further unsavory details about links between the two men. Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents many of Epstein鈥檚 victims, said on Monday that Andrew has a duty to provide any evidence that could help investigators understand how Epstein was able to abuse so many women for so long, and who else might have been involved in his crimes.
But the last time Andrew tried to answer questions about his friendship with Epstein it
It didn鈥檛 end well
with Maitlis, Andrew was pilloried for offering unbelievable explanations for his continued contact with Epstein following the financier鈥檚 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution, and for failing to show empathy for the victims.
Last fall, King Charles III , including the right to be called a prince, as he tried to insulate the monarchy from the continuing revelations about his younger brother鈥檚 relationship with Epstein, which have tarnished the royal family for more than a decade. The former prince is now known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Andrew has also been ordered to vacate Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle that has been his home for more than a decade.
Good luck with asking him to testify
Mountbatten-Windsor for him to testify, and U.S. authorities will find it hard to compel him to appear before Congress, said lawyer Mark Stephens, who handles international and complex cases at Howard Kennedy in London.
鈥淭here will be huge pressure and calls for him to (testify), but I don鈥檛 think that even if he gets there, even if he gives evidence, it鈥檚 going to reveal anything meaningful,鈥� Stephens said. 鈥淚 would fully expect him to take the fifth, as Americans say, the privilege against self-incrimination. And so I don鈥檛 think, beyond his name, he鈥檚 going answer any of the questions either by turning up or not turning up.鈥�
Documents released on Friday suggest that Epstein sought to arrange a date between Mountbatten-Windsor and a 鈥渂eautiful鈥欌�� 26-year-old Russian woman, and that the former prince offered Epstein dinner at Buckingham Palace. They also revealed emails sent by Sarah Ferguson, Mountbatten-Windsor鈥檚 ex-wife, in which she called Epstein a 鈥渓egend鈥欌�� and 鈥渢he brother I have always wished for.鈥欌��
Documents do not show wrongdoing by many of those named; their appearance in the files reflects Epstein鈥檚 extremely wide reach.
Not sharing what he knows
Mountbatten-Windsor has previously demonstrated caution about talking to U.S. authorities.
After he stepped away from royal duties in 2019, Mountbatten-Windsor announced that he was willing to help 鈥渁ny appropriate law enforcement agency鈥� with its investigation into Epstein.
But documents released last year showed how 10 months of negotiations between Mountbatten-Windsor鈥檚 lawyers and federal prosecutors failed to secure his testimony.
Attorneys for the king鈥檚 brother ultimately rejected proposals for their client to be directly interviewed by the prosecutors, either in person or by video. Instead, they proposed that he give his answers in writing, something they said was perfectly acceptable in British courts.
Finally, on Sept. 23, 2020, the prosecutors gave up on the idea of securing a voluntary interview and said they planned to start the formal process of asking the British courts to compel Andrew鈥檚 testimony under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty between the two countries. There is no indication that interview ever took place.
Allred said the testimony is important for Epstein鈥檚 victims.
While Mountbatten-Windsor has said he doesn鈥檛 know anything about Epstein鈥檚 crimes, the documents released by the Justice Department show that he has at least some understanding of the parties Epstein hosted, and how he used young women to influence his network of wealthy, powerful friends, Allred told the BBC.
鈥淗e鈥檚 not the one who should decide whether he knows anything that could help in the investigation,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 am saying it鈥檚 not too late, and he does have information that he can share that may help them.鈥�
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