Question
What did Prince Andrew say in his BBC Newsnight interview about Epstein?
Answer
On November 16, 2019, Prince Andrew (the Duke of York) gave an interview to BBC Newsnight journalist Emily Maitlis that became one of the most widely criticized royal media appearances in modern British history.
Key statements Andrew made during the interview:
On the 2001 alleged encounter with Virginia Giuffre: Andrew denied ever meeting or having any sexual contact with Giuffre. He claimed he had no memory of the photograph showing them together with Ghislaine Maxwell, which Giuffre has said was taken at Maxwell’s London townhouse.
On his whereabouts for the alleged date: Andrew claimed he had a specific alibi — that on the night in question (March 10, 2001), he had been at a Pizza Express restaurant in Woking with his daughter Princess Beatrice for a birthday party, and that this was a memorable fact because going to a Pizza Express was unusual for him.
On not sweating: Andrew claimed he had a medical condition as a result of a stress reaction from the Falklands War that temporarily prevented him from sweating — offered as a contradiction of Giuffre’s claim that he had been “sweating profusely” during the alleged encounter.
On maintaining the friendship after the 2008 conviction: Andrew defended continuing to visit Epstein after his conviction, saying he felt he was “too honorable” to end the friendship by phone and needed to do so in person.
The interview was widely characterized as a public relations disaster. Crisis management experts, journalists, and commentators across the political spectrum described Andrew’s explanations as implausible and his manner as tone-deaf.
Sources
- BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, November 16, 2019
- International media analysis of the interview’s contents