Five Questions Prince Andrew Still Has To Answer About Jeffrey Epstein

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Prince Andrew’s Saturday statement didn’t answer this

Prince Andrew’s strategy for dealing with the fallout of the suicide of his chum, billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, is now becoming clear: minimize, deny, plead ignorance, and avoid answering specific questions.

His latest attempt was a carefully worded statement released Saturday in which he once again insisted he never saw Epstein doing anything wrong.

However, with a slew of new revelations in Britain’s Sunday papers today, there are more questions than ever for Prince Andrew.

Here’s five to start with:

1. Andrew opens his statement by referring to his “former association or friendship with Mr Epstein.” So which was it? And if it was only an association, why, as a random example, did you host him at Balmoral, the Queen’s Scottish estate, in 1999? Sounds like a friendship to us.

2. Andrew says that he saw Epstein “infrequently and probably no more than only once or twice a year.” We know this claim that he spent only ‘limited time’ with Epstein is not true.

For example, the Daily Mail reveals today that in 2010, on what Andrew initially tried to portray as a one-off stroll in Central Park, Andrew actually stayed with Epstein for six days. The question is; how many times did Andrew hang out with, meet, stay, fly or party with Epstein?

3. Andrew says, “At no stage during the limited time I spent with him did I see, witness or suspect any behavior of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.”

Andrew, there is a photograph of you with your hand around the exposed midriff of a 17-year-old Epstein transported to London by private jet to be part of your party.

Today’s Sunday Times says you took a private jet flight with Epstein and a 27-year-old Russian model in 1999. It was revealed only this week that when one guest, the literary agent John Brockman, called round on your week-long 2010 sojourn at Epstein’s New York pad, you were receiving a foot massage from what described as  “two young well-dressed Russian women.”

Double-hander foot massages from young women are usually a red flag, and given that this well-staffed foot rub took place after Epstein had been found guilty of soliciting a minor for prostitution, and jailed for it, how can you claim you didn’t even suspect there was anything up?

4. What was the nature of your friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell? A source told The Daily Beast that when she was a young woman she was invited to a mystery dinner party which turned out to be an intimate soiree hosted by Prince Andrew in his private apartment at Buckingham Palace.

The guests included our source, her friend and the friend’s friend, Ghislaine Maxwell. Was Ghislaine a regular visitor to your home? She provided sexual partners for Epstein. What did she provide for you?

5. One detects the hand of Fergie in crafting the final paragraph: “His suicide has left many unanswered questions and I acknowledge and sympathize with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure.”

Well, if that is so, then why don’t you help them get it by saying what you do know, rather than what you don’t?

Lara Spencer Should Apologize on Monday’s GMA

GMA co-anchor Lara Spencer decided to have some fun at Prince George’s expense on Friday’s show, mocking him and his parents’, William and Kate’s, choice to have him take ballet class. It has rightly drawn widespread criticism.

Spencer’s mockery was the same kind of gay-baiting, effeminacy-focused mockery that the most boorish and obnoxious school kids would use against another boy doing ballet—oh, 30 years ago.

Spencer has obviously never seen Billy Elliot, never considered the great performances of Nijinsky or Nureyev, not to mention the physical effort and training all dancers, male and female, have had to perfect in pursuit of their craft.

She does know that ballet has male dancers doesn’t she, and has done so for a pretty long time? That this isn’t some radical new invention, or gender-based innovation?

The ignorant Spencer and every co-presenter and audience member who laughed with her showed their narrow-mindedness, and their instinct to bully. They’re the kind of people who would say “It’s just a joke,” when challenged—gaslighting the victim into thinking it’s their problem.

In front of millions of Americans on Friday, Lara Spencer wanted the country to know how freakish it was that a boy would love to do ballet—then encouraged that audience to laugh cruelly along with her.

A predictable Instagram apology followed—the kind of apology that didn’t sound that deeply felt, and which wouldn't have materialized at all had she not been criticized so roundly on social media.

On Monday morning, Spencer should issue an on-air apology to George and his parents, looking through the same lens that she employed to mock a little boy liking ballet a few days before. And before she does that she should really think about what she said, how she said it, and the tradition of homophobia and gender stereotyping it sprung forth from. In short, she should consider and mean every word of that apology.

This week in royal fashion

This is a Prince George celebration zone this week—a consistently fabulously dressed boy, who should be left alone to do whatever sporting and dramatic pursuits he wants.

Grasping straws

Rebutting incorrect details seems to be Andrew’s primary strategy as the Epstein maelstrom swirls.

So the bright spot of Andrew’s week came with the release of a deposition by the pilot of Epstein’s private jet, nicknamed the Lolita Express because it had a double bed for in-flight sex parties, which alleged that Prince Andrew and Virginia Roberts Giuffre had been on Epstein’s plane together.

One of the dates given, July 4, 2001, was probably incorrect; the royal diary shows Andrew was in the U.K. on that date.

“The statement shows a number of inconsistencies between the Duke’s alleged location and his actual location when checked with the court circular. In some cases he is on different continents,” a statement from the palace said with unconcealed satisfaction.

For Andrew, this statement was a sign that he is taking a leaf out of Meghan and Harry’s book and rather than sit back and ignore each and every negative story, that he is seeking to actively rebut them when he can.

The palace did not respond to questions from The Daily Beast enquiring about Andrew’s legal strategy, but it appears that Andrew is all too ready to complain and explain—at least when it suits him.

It’s not helping, however; Britain’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has issued a statement jettisoning any association with the scandal-hit prince, a former patron of the society.

This week in royal history

On Aug. 28, 1996, the divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was finalized. Just over a year later Diana would be killed in Paris. A fairy tale that began with the couple's 1981 marriage, turned out a very-much-not fairy tale (with adultery and a very public war conducted in the pages of the tabloid press), and then finally became a tragedy that shocked the world.

Unanswered questions

Whose idea was it that Prince William and Kate should take the budget plane on Thursday, throwing royal eco-shade at Prince Harry and Meghan over their private jet use? Not adding to Meghan and Harry’s reputation for frugality is today’s revelation in the Mail that the villa they stayed at in Ibiza goes for over $100,000 a week in high season.