What were the allegations made against Prince Andrew and how is he linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case?

PRINCE Andrew is under intense scrutiny over his links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and fresh allegations of inappropriately touching a woman in 2001 in New York, according to court papers.

But what are the specific allegations that the Duke of York strongly denies?

What has Prince Andrew been accused of?

US court papers have alleged the Duke of York touched a woman while on his lap as she played with a Spitting Image puppet of him.

And almost 2,000 pages of a lawsuit were released in a defamation case involving Ms Giuffre, who in 2015 claimed Prince Andrew slept with her three times, and Epstein’s ex-lover Ghislaine Maxwell.

He was accused of having a sexual encounter with her when she was 17 in London and New York and a year later at a party on Epstein’s private island in the Virgin Islands.

Another document describes an alleged sexual encounter between Ms Giuffre, now 35, and Andrew in a bathtub.

The Duke of York was pictured with his arm around the then 17-year-old's waist at the home of Maxwell in London in 2001 – but the Prince strongly denies the claims.

All the allegations about Prince Andrew were struck from the court record in 2015.

They were described by the judge as being "immaterial and impertinent".

How is Prince Andrew linked to Jeffrey Epstein?

The Duke of York said he first met Epstein, a billionaire financier in 1999 with the now dead banker once describing the him as his "best friend."

That was also the year the pair's friendship was reported on by the UK press.

The pair are thought to have flown together on Epstein's private jet to the US Virgin Islands.

And in June 2000, Epstein and his Brit "madam" ex, Ghislaine Maxwell were both guests at a party hosted by the queen at Windsor Castle.

Prince Andrew also became close with Maxwell – pictured together that same year at a Halloween party hosted by Heidi Klum in New York.

Just over a month later, in December 2000, the then 40-year-old prince, threw Ms Maxwell a surprise birthday party at Sandringham, with Epstein among the guests.

What has been revealed in the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary?

The Dispatches programme The Prince and the Paedophile examines the relationship between Prince Andrew and Epstein.

Reporter Cathy Newman looks at Epstein's British connections from Prince Andrew to Ghislaine Maxwell.

Private investigator Mike Fisten has already claimed that Epstein had 13 telephone numbers to contact the Queen's second son on.

A telephone contact book was found in Epstein's Palm Beach home that is said to have included a line for the Duke of York at Buckingham Palace.

Fisten said: "You could take for instance, if looking at the section in London, you could pick out, the Duke of York, which is Prince Andrew. And when you look at that, under Duke of York it shows Buckingham Palace, London.

"He has thirteen phone number to contact the Duke. And [these numbers went everywhere], Wood Farm, Sunninghill Wood Farm, Sunninghill numbers, the Palace, his home number, his home email. He even had a phone number to his modem, I guess to call into his modem."

The programme also looks at 1,200 pages of documents about Epstein's behaviour that were made public in a courtroom in Manhattan.

Who is Virginia Roberts and what has she said about Prince Andrew?

Virginia Roberts Giuffre claims she was forced to have sex with the duke when she was 17.

She previously alleges in court papers that she had sex with Andrew "three times, including one orgy" in London, at Epstein's home, and at an on his private "paedo" island in the Caribbean.

She told press Prince Andrew "knows what he's done."

Prince Andrew has previously strenuously denied her claim he had sex with her.

Who is Johanna Sjoberg and what has she said about Prince Andrew?

Johanna Sjoberg alleges Prince Andrew touched her breast in 2001 at the New York home of his pal Jeffrey Epstein, according to court papers.

In the documents Sjoberg said: "I just remember someone suggesting a photo, and they told us to go get on the couch. And so Andrew and Virginia Giuffre (formerly Roberts) sat on the couch, and they put the puppet, the puppet on her lap.

"And so then I sat on Andrew's lap, and I believe on my own volition, and they took the puppet's hands and put it on Virginia's breast, and so Andrew put his on mine," she said, saying it was done in a "joking manner".

What has Courtney Love claimed?

Courtney Love has alleged Prince Andrew once tried to seduce her — amid claims that they were introduced through paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The royal turned up at the star’s house at 1am “looking for sex”, shortly after being introduced to the disgraced financier.

While they did not sleep together, Courtney — widow of Nirvana rocker Kurt Cobain — has told friends Andrew was “very flirtatious”.
The 55-year-old singer was among those recently named in Epstein’s infamous black book.

She told a pal: “I was in bed when the doorbell rang at 1am, so put on my fluffy slippers and a dressing gown, and the Queen’s second son was standing there with a protection officer, totally unannounced.

“He said he had got my address from a mutual friend and was looking to have a fun night in Hollywood, and apparently I could show him a good time.

“He seemed to be looking for sex and was quite flirtatious.

“I offered to make him a cup of tea, and thought it would be amusing to serve him it out of a vintage china cup with the Queen’s face on it. We found it funny.

“We sat down on the sofa, by the fire, and that is when he got quite flirtatious.

“He asked me what I did all day, which I found quite offensive, so I quipped back, ‘And what do you do all day, Prince?’ He seemed amused.

“In the end he only stayed for around 45 minutes.

“Of all the things that have happened in my life, this truly is one of the most surreal things — and that is saying something.”

What has Prince Andrew said about the allegations?

The Prince has strenuously denied all allegations bought against him.

Buckingham Palace strongly denied the allegation in 2015 saying "any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors" by the Duke was "categorically untrue".

It has consistently denied the allegations, reinforcing that statement earlier this year by saying "Any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue.

"It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation."

Prince Andrew added: "At no stage during the limited time I spent with [Epstein] did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction."

All the allegations about Prince Andrew were struck from the court record in 2015.

They were described by the judge as being "immaterial and impertinent".

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