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Prince Andrew emailed Ghislaine Maxwell about his accuser, BBC claims

Virginia Roberts Giuffre told <i>Panorama</i> Andrew was "laughing" as Ghislaine Maxwell "bad-mouthed" Sarah Ferguson.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre told Panorama Andrew was "laughing" as Ghislaine Maxwell "bad-mouthed" Sarah Ferguson. Photo: Twitter

Emails leaked to the BBC’s Panorama appear to show Prince Andrew seeking advice from Ghislaine Maxwell about their accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre in 2015.

And Ms Giuffre has given fresh details about exactly what happened the night she was taken out in London by Andrew and then allegedly instructed to have sex with him.

The Duke of York told Newsnight last month he doesn’t remember meeting ‘sex slave’ Giuffre, who says she was 17 when trafficked three times to the royal by pedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2001.

The emails obtained by the BBC were allegedly sent between Andrew and Ms Maxwell hours after Ms Giuffre lodged court papers in Florida alleging her sexual abuse.

“Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts,” Andrew is said to have written.

Prince Andrew email

The email purportedly from the “Duke of York” to Ghislaine Maxwell. Photo: Twitter

Ms Maxwell is said to have replied, “Have some info. Call me when you have a moment.”

Ghislaine Maxwell email

The BBC said this is Ms Maxwell’s reply email to Prince Andrew. Photo: Twitter

The court papers containing Ms Giuffre’s allegations were later struck from US civil court records. A judge ruled them “immaterial and impertinent” to allegations against Epstein.

In 2015, amid claims Epstein raped and trafficked her, Ms Giuffre sued Ms Maxwell for defamation. The matter was later settled.

The billionaire financier was convicted of child prostitution charges in 2008 and was arrested for alleged sex trafficking earlier this year. He killed himself in a New York prison in August.

The purported emails shown on Panorama are the latest twist in the scandal, which has seen Andrew effectively exiled from public life and lose charitable and corporate sponsors.

On the documentary, Ms Giuffre – who has inspired a ‘BelieveVirginia’ hashtag on Twitter – implored the British people “to stand up beside me, to help me fight this fight, to not accept this as being OK.”

She said being ordered to “do for Andrew what I do for Jeffrey” after a night out at Tramp nightclub with the prince “made me feel sick. I didn’t expect it from royalty.”

Describing the alleged encounter with the duke at Ms Maxwell’s Belgravia home, she said “there was a bath and it started there and it led into the bedroom.

“It didn’t last very long, the whole entire procedure,” Ms Giuffre said.

“He wasn’t mean or anything. But he got up and said ‘thanks’ and walked out. And I sat there in bed … and felt dirty.”

While warning there is no way to tell if Ms Giuffre or the prince is telling the truth, the Panorama investigation is “about as bad as it gets for Andrew”, royals writer Penny Junor told the PA news agency.

“Virginia Giuffre sounds very plausible in this interview, while most of Andrew’s excuses in his [Newsnight] interview with Emily Maitlis were laughable.”

But Junor warned “whether Andrew actually slept with Virginia Giuffre I think is still unproven. That has to be left to the FBI.”

Buckingham Palace responded to the Panorama allegations.

“It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts (Giuffre). Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation,” a spokesman said.

Pre-trial witness subpoenas have been prepared for the cases of five alleged Epstein victims and could be served on Andrew if he returns to the United States and a judge signs off on them.

The royal would then be able to challenge the subpoena in court if he didn’t want to give evidence, according to reports.

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