EMILY MAITLIS has revealed she knew Prince Andrew’s BBC interview was a disaster for him when he said he didn’t regret his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The Newsnight anchor grilled the Duke Of York over his relationship with his paedophile pal in last month’s interview, seen as a car crash for Andrew.
Emily Maitlis has said she knew Prince Andrew was in trouble after he refused to apologise for his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein
The disgraced Duke of York attended the Queen’s Christmas lunch on Wednesday, but missed Princess Beatrice’s engagement party
Writing in The Guardian, she described the disgraced Duke as “unleashed” during the 45-minute-long interview.
When Ms Maitlis asked Andrew, 59, if he regretted his whole friendship with Epstein he replied: Still not.”
Ms Maitlis wrote: “It was such a candid admission, such a bald refusal to play the game with any wider apology or regret.
“It would become the pivotal moment of the entire hour. This is a man a prince who did not come to repent.
BOMBSHELL INTERVIEW
“He came to earn back his right to tell the story his way.”
During the bombshell interview Prince Andrew denied sleeping with Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims, on three separate occasions, twice while she was underage.
He said one encounter in 2001 didn’t happen as he spent the day with his daughter Princess Beatrice, taking her to Pizza Express in Woking for a party.
Ms Maitlis, who revealed the Newsnight interview was months in the making, said under-fire Andrew saw it as a chance to give his side of the story.
She added: “Andrew was unleashed. Unstoppable.
“After a decade of silent frustration, he wanted to tell me everything.
“He paused being a royal and found his voice.”
DUKE MISSES ENGAGEMENT BASH
After the interview Andrew was “charming, and even more relaxed”, the BBC presenter said.
Andrew was stripped of all royal duties shortly after it was broadcast.
This week, HOAR revealed Andrew decided to miss his own daughters engagement partyforfear of embarrassment or abuse from celebrity attendees.
The Duke of York stayed away from the star-studded bash for Princess Beatrice, which was held in London.
The party took place at showbiz hotspot Chiltern Firehouse to celebrate Beatrices engagement to property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, which was announced in September just one month after Epstein was found dead in his prison cell.
Celeb friends such as James Blunt, Pippa Middleton and Dexter Fletcher all attended.
Andrew attended the Queens Christmas lunch on Wednesday with other senior members of the royal family, as well as a staff party at Buckingham Palace on Monday.
Sources claim Prince Andrew stayed away from his daughter’s engagement party out of ‘fear of embarrassment or abuse’ from guests
Fergie, mother of the soon-to-be bride, arrived at her daughter’s party dressed all in black
