The Duke of York has reportedly told friends of his sympathy for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his regret for not mentioning it in the BBC Newsnight interview that aired Saturday night.
According to an exclusive in the Daily Mail, Prince Andrew told friends he “regretted” not discussing his sympathy for the Epstein victims in his widely panned interview, stressing that he has “great sympathy” for anyone who was a victim of his late friend.
“I regret that I didn’t make it clear in the interview that I have great sympathy for anyone who was abused by Jeffrey Epstein. When I said I was shocked, I thought that was implicit,” the royal reportedly said.
His friends, who spoke to the Mail, added that the Duke of York said he was really in the dark when it came to the horrible actions of Epstein saying he did not know the “extent of his wrongdoing.”
Prince Andrew told his friend, “In 2010, none of us had any idea of the extent of his wrongdoing.”
The friend also told the Mail, “Of course, the Duke deeply regrets his friendship with Epstein. As a father, he totally condemns any exploitation of vulnerable young women. He supports the victims and says that it is right that they now have the opportunity to tell their stories and seek justice.”
The Newsnight interview has been called a “disaster” and “car crash” by several, and many have voiced their support that the Duke of York take a step back from royal duties.
A poll of Royal Central readers saw the overwhelming majority say they believed Prince Andrew should no longer undertake royal duties on behalf of The Queen.
