Lawyers for a second woman who alleges she was sent to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein for a sexual encounter with the then Prince Andrew have urged King Charles’s legal team to issue a “real apology”. The woman, said to be in her 20s at the time and not British, claims she spent the night with Andrew at Royal Lodge in 2010 and was given a tour of Buckingham Palace.
Brittany Henderson, of the US law firm Edwards Henderson, said in a statement: “Andrew’s power only existed because of his royal family. Andrew’s complicity and involvement with Epstein and Maxwell has been well known to us, to Andrew, and to the palace for many years.” She called on the king’s lawyers to “contact me immediately in a good faith effort to learn what Andrew has done, meet whomever he has done it to, issue a sincere and real apology, and ensure that any victims of Andrew are fairly compensated.”
The allegation comes as emails in the more than three million documents published by the US Department of Justice on Friday appear to show the depth of friendship between Epstein and Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. In one 2009 email, Ferguson appears to write: “Thank you Jeffrey for being the brother I have always wished for.” Another from 2010 reads: “You are a legend. I really don’t have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness. Xx I am at your service. Just marry me.”
The emails also appear to show a lunch was held between Ferguson, her daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, and Epstein in July 2009, after his release from prison for child sex offences. In another email, Epstein claims “fergie said she could organise tea in the buckingham palace apts. or windsor castle”. Ferguson also appears to raise the possibility Epstein had a secret child, congratulating him on the birth of a “baby boy” in 2011.
Andrew, now the Duke of York, denies allegations he had sex with Virginia Giuffre when she was 17 and working for Epstein. He settled a civil case with her for a reported £12 million with no admission of liability. A Buckingham Palace statement in October said: “Their majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
