Virginia Giuffre memoir goes on sale, heaping fresh scrutiny on Prince Andrew

LONDON - A posthumous memoir by Ms Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain's Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her as a teenager, went on sale in London on Oct 21, days after the disgraced prince gave up his Duke of York title.

Much of the contents of the book were reported before its release, triggering renewed scrutiny on Prince Andrew - King Charles' brother - whose conduct and connections with the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have long been criticised.

Prince Andrew, 65, has always denied Ms Giuffre's account.

In “Nobody’s Girl”, Ms Giuffre wrote that she feared she might "die a sex slave" under Epstein's control and describes three alleged sexual encounters with Prince Andrew in London, New York and on the late financier's private island.

The memoir also alleges Prince Andrew correctly guessed Ms Giuffre's age - 17 - when they first met.

“It’s a really harrowing account,” royal commentator Afua Hagan told Reuters. “Some of the details in there are grim.”

In 2022,

Prince Andrew made an undisclosed payment

to settle a lawsuit brought in the US by Ms Giuffre, who died by suicide in April.

“As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me,” Prince Andrew said in his statement on Oct 17 announcing he would

stop using all his remaining titles and honours

so as not to distract from the work of the king and other royals.

However, the criticism and questions about Prince Andrew and what the royals knew of events have intensified.

London’s police force is looking into media reports that in 2011 Prince Andrew had asked one of his police officers to dig up dirt on Ms Giuffre.

Sky News reported on Oct 15 that at the time, a current senior aide to the king had been in charge of police royal protection.

A royal source said the issue was a matter for the police, who did not respond to an immediate request for comment.

Senior lawmakers have said Prince Andrew should speak to US authorities about Epstein, while the Scottish National Party is seeking a parliamentary debate demanding the government introduce a law to formally strip him of titles.

The Times newspaper said that for two decades, Prince Andrew had not paid any rent for the house in the grounds surrounding Windsor Castle to the Crown Estate, which manages properties belonging to the monarchy on behalf of taxpayers.

“I think that it’s about time Prince Andrew took himself off to live in private and make his own way in life,” Mr Robert Jenrick, the main opposition Conservative party’s justice spokesman, told BBC radio.

“I don’t see why the taxpayer frankly should continue to foot the bill for him at all. The public are sick of him.” REUTERS