Prince Andrew says he is 'bewildered' by accusations he's not cooperating with Epstein investigation

Meanwhile, today in New York a prosecutor said: "[We would] welcome Prince Andrew coming to talk to us".

Prince Andrew denies not helping with the ongoing Maxwell and Epstein legal case
(Image credit: Getty)

Meanwhile, today in New York a prosecutor said: "[We would] welcome Prince Andrew coming to talk to us".

Just yesterday, Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in the US on charges connected to convicted peadophile Jefferey Epstein and today, a prosecutor trialling the socialite in New York has asked Prince Andrew to step forward and share his piece.

However, legal representatives for the Duke of York say he is 'bewildered' at this ask. He maintains that any implications that he hasn't been cooperating with the official investigation of the case so far are untrue.

They go on to say they "twice communicated" with the US Department of Justice. To date, they say they "have had no response".

However, US officials imply otherwise. Audrey Strauss, the acting US attorney for the southern district of New York, today said she "welcome[s] Prince Andrew coming in to talk with us".

The invitation was part of a public news conference addressing the arrest of Epstein's ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Officials representing Prince Andrew also claim he has offered his side of the story to the DOJ three other times. US officials maintain he has been consistently unwilling to cooperate.

Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell first met when she was studying at Oxford university. They socialised frequently in the same circles through the 90's and early 2000's.

In his infamous interview with Emily Maitlis, the Duke of York denies any accusations of sexual wrongdoing via Maxwell or Epstein. He does, however, mention Maxwell several times and talk of occasions they have been seen together.

Prince Andrew is accused of having sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old Virginia Roberts. She says she was trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell in her teens and forced to have sex with the Prince.

Shedding light on the Jefferey Epstein case is a new Netflix documentary called Dirty Rich, which investigates what really happened through first hand accounts, and shares the stories of the many women who say they were sexually abused by him when they were underage.

Maxwell initially introduced Prince Andrew to Epstein in 1999, the same decade she started dating the millionaire. Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019, after being convicted of sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking in just a month earlier.

Ally Head
Senior Health, Sustainability and Relationships Editor

Ally Head is Marie Claire UK's Senior Health, Sustainability, and Relationships Editor, nine-time marathoner, and Boston Qualifying runner. Day-to-day, she works across site strategy, features, and e-commerce, reporting on the latest health updates, writing the must-read health and wellness content, and rounding up the genuinely sustainable and squat-proof gym leggings worth *adding to basket*. She's won a BSME for her sustainability work, regularly hosts panels and presents for events like the Sustainability Awards, and saw nine million total impressions on the January 2023 Wellness Issue she oversaw. Follow Ally on Instagram for more or get in touch.