Prince Andrew Sex Scandal: Prime Minister Cameron Refuses To Back The Prince

In a sensational twist in the Prince Andrew “sex slave” scandal the Telegraph is reporting that British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has refused to publicly support the Prince.

In an interview on radio station Heart FM Mr. Cameron was asked about the controversy that has had the UK press buzzing for days. He would only say.

“I’m not going to make any comment on it. Obviously, the Prince has made his own views very, very clear, and I think I’ll leave it at that.”

Prime Minister Cameron’s refusal to comment is a contrast to his public backing of Prince Andrew in 2011 when the Prince’s friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was criticized. The Prince was photographed with Epstein shortly after he was released from his prison sentence. On that occasion Mr. Cameron backed Prince Andrew saying that he had full confidence in him in his role as a UK trade envoy. Despite Cameron’s support the Prince had to resign from that role.

The Mail reports that Prince Andrew has faced mounting controversy after he was named in US court documents as having sex with a woman, identified in reports as Virginia Roberts, on three separate occasions when she was a minor.

She is said to have been “procured” for him by American billionaire and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who she accuses of using her as a “sex slave.”

The Independent reported that Virginia Roberts claims she was made to have sex with Prince Andrew and said she was paid £10,000 by her then-employer Jeffrey Epstein. She further alleges that Prince Andrew knew she was just 17 years old at the time.

The story is made even more incredible by the fact that Buckingham Palace has issued two unprecedented denials in relation to the new claims, denying that the Duke had “any form of sexual contact or relationship” with the woman who it names as Virginia Roberts. Buckingham Palace rarely make any comment on issues seen to be controversial, especially when court proceedings are involved.

Whilst the Prime Ministers refusal to publicly support him will undoubtedly be a blow to Prince Andrew he will be buoyed by the fact that London’s Lord Mayor, Boris Johnston has offered his support. The Lord Mayor told listeners to London’s LBC Radio that

“Prince Andrew, let’s be very clear, is a guy who does a huge amount of unsung, unheralded work for this country.”

“People, they go on and on about the air miles and so on, actually I have seen that guy get out there and sell this country, try to help British firms to get business around the world.”

“He does a huge amount of good and a huge amount of hard work. So if you are asking me whether I have sympathy for him, of course I do.”

According to the Mail the Prince’s former wife, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, also came to his defense whilst on holiday in Switzerland, she reportedly said of her former husband.

“He is the greatest man there is. It was the finest moment of my life in 1986 when I married him. He is a great man, the best man in the world.”

The facts in this case are clearly controversial and contentious, Prince Andrew strenuously denies any and all allegations of impropriety, but it seems certain that this story has a long way to run.

[Image – Mirror & Huffington Post]