Prince Andrew holed up alone in Windsor after pal Ghislaine Maxwell convicted of sex trafficking & family go skiing
PRINCE Andrew was holed up alone in Windsor last night after pal Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking — and his family left for a ski holiday.
A New York Court will decide on Tuesday if his accuser Virginia Giuffre’s assault claims can go to trial.
Andrew, 61, denies any wrongdoing.
Chauntae Davies, a victim of Maxwell and billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, said of Andrew: “He could be feeling very, very uncomfortable right about now.”
Andrew must face a criminal probe into any links to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s underage abuse ring, a grooming victim said last night.
Jennifer Araoz, just 15 when raped by Epstein, demanded the royal be investigated hours after his pal Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking.
Make-up artist Jennifer, now 34, told The Sun: “The authorities should have been investigating other people a long time ago.
“Prince Andrew needs to be investigated for any women who were involved with him.
“The TV interview he had to ‘prove his innocence’ didn’t come across very well in my opinion.
“If the authorities haven’t investigated other people by now, it’s hard to see if they will.
“But I have a lot of faith in the justice system. If they feel like they need to go further then they will.”
⚠️Click here for the latest news on Ghislaine Maxwell
Last night lawyers for Maxwell’s victims said Andrew should be “quaking in his boots”.
A New York court will decide on Tuesday if the civil lawsuit against the Duke of York brought by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre can proceed to a trial next year.
Ms Giuffre, now living in Perth, Western Australia, yesterday hinted that the guilty verdict against Maxwell was just the beginning — without mentioning Andrew by name.
She said: “Now I can start really working past Maxwell and thinking about the others who need to be held accountable.
“Epstein and Maxwell took a part of my childhood that I’ll never get back. But let’s just say, it wasn’t just them who participated in this.
“Justice to me looks like holding all of these people involved in the sex ring, those who greased its wheels, named and shamed.”
Isolated Andrew was last night holed up in Windsor after his former wife Sarah Ferguson and daughters Beatrice and Eugenie jetted off without him for a winter ski break.
But sources close to the Prince remained defiant last night.
A friend of Andrew said: “This was Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial, not the Duke’s.
RAPIST, PAEDO, TRAFFICKER
“Nothing new of any substance has been raised in relation to the Duke.
“Any mentions have been glancing blows, not body blows.”
Earlier this year it was reported Andrew was a person of interest in the Epstein probe led by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
American law enforcement officers were stung into action by Epstein’s jail suicide in 2019, promising to go after his accomplices.
Sources claim Andrew has so far refused to co-operate, with US investigators forced to apply for a mutual legal assistance treaty with Britain.
And we can reveal the Met Police has declined to launch a full investigation into the alleged actions of Maxwell, Epstein or Andrew six times in recent years.
The force told The Sun yesterday it was taking no further action against heiress Maxwell, 60, despite being handed a dossier on her and Epstein by Channel 4 early this year.
Maxwell was convicted on five of six charges, including three of conspiracy and the most serious of sex trafficking of a minor.
She was branded a “sophisticated predator” in the New York trial and faces a 65-year term, meaning the rest of her life behind bars.
The jury heard how she manipulated girls to serve up to Epstein in a “pyramid scheme of abuse”.
‘DEVIL’S RIGHT-HAND MAN’
Andrew, 61, insisted in his 2019 Newsnight TV interview that he had not known Epstein that well, after being introduced to him by Maxwell in 1999.
He told the BBC’s Emily Maitlis: “It would be, to some extent, a stretch to say that, as it were, we were close friends.
“I mean we were friends because of other people and I had a lot of opportunity to go to the US but I didn’t have much time with him.
“On balance, could I have avoided ever meeting him? Probably not and that’s because of my friendship with Ghislaine . . . it was inevitable that we would have come across each other.”
But evidence would show how he invited the daughter of crooked newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell and Epstein into the heart of the Royal Family.
Prosecutors provided a photo showing her and Epstein cosied up in a log cabin at the Queen’s Balmoral estate.
And on today’s front page we have printed a never-before-seen snap of Ghislaine and Epstein snuggled up in fluffy spa robes.
Brad Edwards, lawyer for “Kate”, one of the four accusers who gave evidence against Maxwell, said time was running out for the Prince.
‘PYRAMID SCHEME OF ABUSE’
He added: “This doesn’t help Andrew at all.
“He’s in the photo with Virginia Giuffre and now a jury has spoken in part about Virginia.
“All he has left in his life, as it relates to Maxwell and Epstein, are technicalities.
“I don’t know how many technicalities you can string on a rope.”
Ms Giuffre’s lawyers believe the guilty verdicts against Maxwell could be a harbinger of things to come — as they prepare to face Andrew in civil court.
One count that Maxwell was convicted of was partly based on claims from Ms Giuffre that she was recruited by the Brit socialite.
LA lawyer Lisa Bloom, who represented eight victims of Epstein, said: “He (Andrew) should be quaking in his boots.
“Because this shows that a jury is willing to come back with a guilty verdict even if the accusers are not perfect.”
Ms Giuffre’s lawyer Sigrid McCawley said the Maxwell judgment was historic.
She added: “What you’ve seen here is a jury that took it upon itself to believe these victims, hear their voices and render a verdict which told the American public that regardless of power, privilege, whether you are a president or a prince, you will be held accountable if you engage in sexual trafficking.”
Mum-of-three Giuffre added of Maxwell yesterday: “She was the devil’s right-hand man.
“She made these appointments for him (Epstein), she actively went out there and scouted for new girls.
“She was part of the sexual encounters at times. She’s definitely worse than Epstein.
“She used that charm, that wit, that smile to come off as somebody you want to trust.
“It’s definitely a relief to know that she’s off the streets.”
Monster Ball
MASKED sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell poses with rapist Harvey Weinstein and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein at Princess Beatrice’s 18th birthday party.
Beatrice’s dad Andrew invited the despicable threesome to the 1888-themed masked ball at Windsor Castle in 2006.
The £400,000 bash, marking 100 years before Beatrice was born in 1988, came just days before Epstein was arrested on child prostitution charges.
Movie mogul Weinstein, convicted of rape in 2020, was one of 400 guests, including Beatrice’s sister Eugenie and mum Sarah.
‘Stupidity knows no bounds’ - Ingrid Seward, Editor-in-chief, Majesty
PRINCE Andrew has been weighed in the court of public opinion and found wanting.
The verdict against Ghislaine Maxwell was enough to see to that.
He’s now perceived as a one-time close friend with not only a convicted paedophile, but also a convicted sex trafficker.
I think the public were shocked by the explicit revelations of the girls who gave evidence against Maxwell during the trial.
They were also shocked to see the photographs taken by Andrew on his mother’s private property — especially the one of Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein relaxing at her log cabin on the Balmoral estate.
It shows an extraordinary lack of sense and judgment and is one of the reasons it’s so damaging to the Royal Family.
It’s arguably the final nail in the so-called coffin for Andrew.
And it’s quite sad because there are two faces to Andrew.
There’s the arrogant, royal face and then there is the loyal, kind face.
And he’s not an unkind person.
His stupidity just knows no bounds.
It’s almost linked to the arrogance of the old-fashioned aristocracy who thought they were above the law.
The Queen is limited as to what she can do for him.
She can support him financially, but can’t be seen to be doing so in public.
When this all came out originally, there were pictures of her riding with Andrew, but she’s distanced herself publicly.
However, in reality, he is up at the castle all the time, schmoozing up to her ears.
Despite everything, Andrew still has the loyalty from his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
I think the Queen really appreciates her, as Fergie really has held that family together.
If Maxwell starts throwing names about in order to reduce her sentencing, it could prove very damning.
In the Newsnight interview, Andrew kept referring to Maxwell as his “friend”, almost using her as a get-out-of-jail- free card.
So her guilty verdict must be a shock for him.
And it makes things far worse because he’s always maintained his friendship was with her, far more than with Epstein.
When it comes to Andrew’s future, it doesn’t look like he has one.
He won’t be able to do any of his military appointments.
He won’t be able to head up any charities. He won’t be able to start a business. His name is mud.
Maxwell and Epstein have blighted his life — and Epstein is continuing to do so from the grave.
Will she sing?
LEGAL experts agreed yesterday that one way for Ghislaine Maxwell to get a lighter sentence would be to sing like a canary about her and Jeffrey Epstein’s powerful friends.
They claimed turning on those who allegedly took part in the sex trafficking network could be her only chance of ever leaving prison.
Maxwell faces 65 years for grooming convictions.
Elie Honig, a former US prosecutor, said co-operation represented “her best and perhaps only chance to get out”.
He said: “She’s 60, facing much of her remaining life behind bars.
“Maxwell would have to give up everything she ever did, and everything she knows about anybody.
“No hedging, no half-truths. If the court is completely convinced she will do that, co-operation is possible.”
