Prince Andrew had lengthy been beneath strain over his affiliation with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his intercourse trafficker girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. Right here is how that friendship led to the prince’s shame and downfall
Nineteen Nineties
Andrew beforehand advised BBC Newsnight he first met Epstein by means of “his girlfriend again in 1999”.
In March 2011, the prince’s then-private secretary Alastair Watson, who spent 9 years within the position, wrote to The Occasions newspaper saying Andrew met Epstein within the “early Nineteen Nineties”.
Andrew later mentioned he noticed Epstein “sometimes”, including “in all probability not more than solely a few times a 12 months”.
Throughout Maxwell’s intercourse trafficking trial, jurors hear Andrew flew on Epstein’s non-public aircraft with a 14-year-old woman within the mid Nineteen Nineties.
2000
Andrew and Maxwell are seen on vacation with Epstein at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago membership in Palm Seashore, Florida.
Epstein and Maxwell attend a celebration at Windsor Fort hosted by Queen Elizabeth II to mark Andrew’s fortieth birthday, the Princess Royal’s fiftieth, the Queen Mom’s a hundredth and Princess Margaret’s seventieth.
Flight information from Could present him confirmed as a passenger on Epstein’s non-public aircraft.
2001
Virginia Giuffre claims to have had intercourse with Andrew “thrice, together with one orgy”, with the primary encounter allegedly happening in Maxwell’s London townhouse.
Ms Giuffre additionally claimed to have had intercourse with Andrew at Epstein’s New York flat and at an “orgy” on his non-public island Little St James within the Caribbean.
2008
Epstein admits prostituting minors and is sentenced to 18 months in jail.
2009
Epstein’s former housekeeper Juan Alessi testifies that Andrew had “day by day massages” on the paedophile’s Florida house.
2010
Epstein is launched from jail. Andrew is photographed with Epstein in New York’s Central Park.
Footage emerges years later, reportedly shot on December 6 2010, exhibiting him inside Epstein’s Manhattan mansion, from the place he’s seen looking from a big door of the property waving a girl goodbye after Epstein leaves to get right into a chauffeur-driven automobile.
2011
Andrew quits his position as UK commerce envoy after the fallout from the Central Park pictures.
In February, he tells Epstein “we’re on this collectively” regardless of later claiming he broke off all contact with the paedophile in December 2010.
Ms Giuffre reportedly arms the {photograph} of her with Andrew to the FBI.
2015
Buckingham Palace denies Andrew has dedicated any impropriety after he’s named in US court docket paperwork associated to Epstein.
A lady, later named in reviews as Ms Giuffre, alleges in papers filed in Florida that she was compelled to have intercourse with Andrew when she was 17, which is beneath the age of consent within the state.
On the World Financial Discussion board in Davos, Andrew, in his first public engagement since he was embroiled within the allegations, responds by saying: “I simply want to reiterate, and to reaffirm, the statements which have already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace.”
In January, Andrew is reported to have despatched an e-mail to Maxwell asking for assist in coping with Ms Giuffre.
2016
As a part of her civil go well with in opposition to Maxwell, Ms Giuffre testifies that Epstein paid her 15,000 {dollars} (£11,180)to have intercourse with Andrew.
Ms Giuffre additionally testified a few sexual encounter with Andrew within the bathtub of Maxwell’s house in 2001, saying: “He was adorning my younger physique, notably my ft, caressing my toes and licking my arches.”
2019
Newly launched authorized paperwork present that Johanna Sjoberg, one other alleged Epstein sufferer, claimed Andrew touched her breast whereas sitting on a sofa contained in the US billionaire’s Manhattan residence in 2001.
Buckingham Palace mentioned the allegations are “categorically unfaithful”.
Epstein is discovered useless in his jail cell on August 10, having killed himself after being charged with intercourse trafficking.
Later that month, a pilot on Epstein’s non-public jet, David Rodgers, claims Andrew was a passenger on previous flights with the financier and Ms Giuffre.
Mr Rodgers mentioned in an affidavit launched in August that Epstein, Andrew and the-then 17-year-old travelled to the US Virgin Islands on April 11 2001.
Buckingham Palace describes the proof assertion as having “quite a lot of inconsistencies” and mentioned that Andrew was on a distinct continent in some circumstances.
Following Epstein’s demise, a press release from the palace says that Andrew is “appalled by the current reviews of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged crimes”.
Breaking his silence on the difficulty for the primary time since 2015, Andrew then releases a press release on August 24 saying: “At no stage in the course of the restricted time I spent with him (Epstein) did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the type that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.”
In November, BBC Newsnight reveals Andrew has spoken about his relationship with Epstein in a “no holds barred” interview.
Within the interview Andrew mentioned he had “no recollection” of ever assembly Ms Giuffre and added he couldn’t have had intercourse along with her in March 2001 as a result of he was at Pizza Categorical along with his daughter Beatrice on the day in query.
He added he “didn’t remorse” his friendship with the intercourse offender however admitted he shouldn’t have gone to see him in New York in 2010 to interrupt off their friendship.
The tv sit-down was broadly criticised and dubbed a “automobile crash”, with commentators questioning Andrew’s responses and condemning his unsympathetic tone for victims and seeming lack of regret over the friendship.
4 days after the interview, the then Duke of York launched a press release confirming he was “stepping again from public duties for the foreseeable future” with permission from Queen Elizabeth II.
Andrew additionally mentioned he “deeply sympathised” with all of Epstein’s victims and added he was “keen to assist any acceptable regulation enforcement company with their investigations, if required”.
In December, Ms Giuffre implores the British public to “get up beside me to assist me combat this combat” and “not settle for this as being OK”, in clips launched forward of a BBC Panorama interview.
2020
In January, a US prosecutor claims Andrew has “offered zero co-operation” over the Epstein intercourse trafficking inquiry.
Talking at a information convention outdoors Epstein’s New York mansion, US legal professional Geoffrey Berman mentioned Andrew’s attorneys had been contacted by prosecutors and the FBI who requested to interview him as a part of the investigation.
Ms Giuffre, writing on social media a couple of days later, urges Andrew to “do the fitting factor” and discuss to FBI investigators.
In June, Andrew’s attorneys mentioned he provided to help the US division of justice “on a minimum of three events this 12 months” in its investigation into Epstein.
Just some hours later, prosecutor Mr Berman – who was main the investigation into Epstein on the time – mentioned Andrew had “but once more sought to falsely painting himself to the general public as keen and keen to co-operate” though he “has repeatedly declined” requests to schedule an interview.
Talking in a documentary, Ms Giuffre claims Andrew performed a “guessing sport” about her age and in contrast her along with his daughters in the course of the alleged March 2001 encounter at Maxwell’s house.
A former Epstein worker tells a Netflix documentary he noticed Andrew frolicking with a topless Ms Giuffre in a pool on the paedophile’s island.
2021
In August, Ms Giuffre begins authorized motion in opposition to Andrew, saying it was “previous the time for him to be held to account” for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was an adolescent.
Attorneys for Ms Giuffre filed a civil go well with in search of unspecified damages at a federal court docket in New York, the place paperwork declare she was “lent out for sexual functions” by Epstein, together with whereas she was nonetheless a minor beneath US regulation.
Andrew is known as as the one defendant within the 15-page go well with, introduced beneath New York state’s Youngster Victims Act, although Epstein and Maxwell are talked about often all through.
In December, Maxwell is convicted in a New York court docket of serving to Epstein sexually abuse teenage ladies.
2022
In January, a US decide guidelines the civil case in opposition to Andrew can go forward, in what is a big blow for the royal whose lawyer had argued that it must be thrown out.
Andrew’s standing as a member of the royal household is left in tatters after Queen Elizabeth II strips him of his honorary navy roles and he provides up his HRH fashion in a dramatic fallout from his civil intercourse case.
He’s additionally stripped of his remaining royal patronages.
The event got here after greater than 150 veterans joined forces to specific their outrage, writing to the late Queen to demand the elimination of the honorary navy positions.
Buckingham Palace says in a press release that Andrew “will proceed to not undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a non-public citizen”.
In February, court docket paperwork present Andrew and Ms Giuffre have reached a “settlement in precept” within the civil intercourse declare.
The paperwork present Andrew will make a “substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in assist of victims’ rights”, and has pledged to “show his remorse for his affiliation with Epstein” by supporting the “combat in opposition to the evils of intercourse trafficking, and by supporting its victims”.
Commentators say that whereas he “eventually” seems to have gotten the tone and language proper, it’s unlikely he’ll ever return to public royal life, with one branding him “reputationally toast”.
Calls are renewed for him to lose his dukedom after he pays thousands and thousands of kilos to a girl he claims by no means to have met.
2024
Allegations in opposition to Andrew resurface in unsealed paperwork as a part of Ms Giuffre’s civil declare in opposition to Maxwell – with claims corresponding to him being concerned in intercourse tapes, in addition to resurfaced allegations of his participation in an underage orgy.
2025
Ms Giuffre dies aged 41 in April.
Buckingham Palace pronounces Andrew will cease utilizing his titles and honours, together with the Duke of York.
