New Netflix drama Scoop has brought Prince Andrew’s infamous Newsnight interview back to the fore – and during the interview he was asked about a photo of himself and then-17-year-old Virginia Giuffre, but he said he had no recollection of meeting her
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Prince Andrew is interviewed by Emily Maitlis on Newsnight in 2019
The identity of the person who took the infamous photo of Prince Andrew with his arm around his accuser Virginia Guiffre still remains a mystery over 20 years on.
The Duke of York’s car crash interview with BBC Newsnight about his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell has come back to the fore, with the release of Netflix drama Scoop, which tells the story of how the BBC managed to persuade Andrew to take part in the interview and the fallout that followed.
During the infamous 45-minute interview, Andrew was asked directly about Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was told by Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell to have sex with the prince at Epstein’s mansion in New York and at other locations when she was 17.
She later brought a civil claim against Andrew but it was later settled out of court. The settlement contained no admission of liability, guilt or wrongdoing on Prince Andrew’s part. During the Newsnight interview, Andrew was probed by interviewer Emily Maitlis about a picture appearing to show him and Giufrre, which is believed to have been taken in March 2001 at Ghislaine Maxwell’s London townhouse. She is seen grinning in the background of the picture and the uncropped version shows a thumb, which is visible in the bottom right corner of the snap.
In February 2011, Mrs Giuffre told the Mail on Sunday that the photo was taken at Ms Maxwell’s home after a night out at Tramp. She said at the time: “All of us went upstairs and I asked Jeffrey to snap a picture of me with the Prince. I wanted something to show my mom.”
However, in his Newsnight interview many years later, Andrew insisted he didn’t recall it being taken. He said: “I don’t believe it’s a picture of me in London because when I go out in London, I wear a suit and a tie. That’s what I would describe as… those are my travelling clothes if I’m going overseas.”
And when asked about putting his hand around Giuffre’s waist, he said: “I’m terribly sorry but if I, as a member of the Royal Family, and I have a photograph taken and I take very, very few photographs, I am not one to, as it were, hug and public displays of affection are not something that I do. So that’s the best explanation I can give you and I’m afraid to say that I don’t believe that photograph was taken in the way that has been suggested.”
Meanwhile, former socialite Maxwell – who is serving 20 years in jail for trafficking young girls for paedophile Jeffrey Epstein – has claimed the photo is fake. The 61-year-old is locked up in prison but gave an interview from her cell last year, where she was adamant she has no recollection of the Duke of York, 62, ever meeting Guiffre, then 17.
Despite her being clearly visible in the photo she told Jeremy Kyle in his TalkTV show that she believes the image is fake. Kyle interviewed Maxwell for a special episode of his series billed as ‘Ghislaine Behind Bars’.
Viewers saw Maxwell argue: “I have no memory of them meeting. And I don’t think that picture is real. There is no original of that photo, (just) copies of copies and parts of it, according to some experts, look like it has been photoshopped. I don’t remember her in my home.”
She adds: “I know that Virginia travelled with Jeffrey, and so it’s entirely possible. It wasn’t something so outrageously out of left field that it couldn’t have happened. But the photo doesn’t appear to be real. And I don’t recall it being taken. I have no memory of Virginia and Prince Andrew meeting.”
