The Queen ‘did not approve’ Prince Andrew’s ‘car crash’ TV interview

‘The mainstream advisors of the Queen at the Palace were not a part of this Prince Andrew debate’

‘The mainstream advisors of the Queen at the Palace were not a part of this Prince Andrew debate’

Prince Andrew made news this weekend as he finally addressed his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, 66-year-old multimillionaire businessman and registered sex offender who died in an apparent suicide earlier this year.

Epstein was being held without bail on charges of sex trafficking girls (some as young as 14), with the financier also making news this year for reportedly using his business relationship with Leslie Wexner, CEO of the L Brands, to take advantage of aspiring Victoria’s Secret models.

Prince Andrew’s name has been linked to Epstein’s after footage emerged reportedly showing the Royal in Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion in 2010.

In an attempt to address the allegations, Prince Andrew did a royal first this weekend, engaging in a one-hour interview about Epstein with BBC Newsnight's Emily Maitlis, aired on Saturday from Buckingham Palace.

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The internet however was not impressed, with it widely criticised as a ‘car crash’ of an interview, with Prince Andrew explaining in detail that he medically could not sweat and using Pizza Express in Woking as an ‘alibi’.

Following the emergence of the interview, people were quick to question why the Queen gave the TV interview the go-ahead, something palace insiders weighed in on this week, revealing that she actually didn’t.

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According to The Telegraph, the Queen was only informed about the interview after it had been arranged, with palace insiders reporting that the Duke’s private office was ‘operating in a silo’.

Journalist Nicholas Witchell also weighed in, announcing: ‘The mainstream advisors of the Queen at the Palace were not a part of this Prince Andrew debate.’

The royal family has not released an official statement.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.