The former Newsnight journalist who once sat down with Prince Andrew revealed her thoughts on the infamous 2019 interview that led to the disgraced royal stepping down from full-time duties.

Emily Maitlis recalled Andrew thinking it was “preposterous” that sexual assault allegations from his close friendship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein “followed him for a decade” as she opened up on whether or not she thought he was guilty, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

Maitlis reflected on her 2019 sit down with the disgraced royal in an interview with actress Ruth Wilson, who is set to play her in an upcoming three-part drama about the interview.

Writing in The Times, Maitlis recalled Wilson asking her “simply, bluntly” if she thought Andrew was guilty of sexually assaulting Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre.

The former Newsnight presenter wrote: “I tell her there is no way I or anyone else will ever know the full truth of what happened with or to Virginia Giuffre.”

While Maitlis diplomatically declined to brand Andrew guilty of assaulting Giuffre, she claimed “he was clearly guilty of other things”, such as “his continued friendship with Epstein after his arrest” and “his flat-footed response to the victims of sex trafficking”.

She further noted Andrew said he was “too honorable” to cut ties with Epstein without traveling to Manhattan to stay in his townhouse for four days.

Andrew also referred to Epstein’s “behavior” as “unbecoming” rather than outright denouncing his actions as a sex offender.

She added: “This is not proof of Andrew’s own criminal behavior, I explain, but it does tell us a story of power and unchecked privilege.

“It tells the story of a man who finds it preposterous these allegations have followed him around for nearly a decade. And perhaps it tells a story of what happens when our royals have no right of reply.”

Maitlis also revealed how Newsnight deputy editor Stewart Maclean initially turned down the opportunity to interview Andrew in May 2019 because the royal demanded no questions about Epstein be asked.

After Maclean turned down the interview “precisely because he didn’t like the idea of there being red-line questions that were out of bounds”, Maitlis said Andrew opted to “slip away to an ITV interview instead”.

Of course, the Newsnight interview eventually took place – and Maitlis grilled him. She pressed him on accusations the Epstein victim was trafficked to have sex with him when she was just 17 years old.

Giuffre alleged in one detailed encounter with the Duke of York he sweated heavily while they danced at a London nightclub. Andrew shot down the allegation, claiming he couldn’t perspire heavily due to a medical condition from serving in the Falklands War.

It was one of many blunders Andrew made during the interview.

Though he denied the accusations and claimed he had no recollection of ever meeting Giuffre, Andrew stepped down from his role as a full-time working royal after the interview aired in November 2019.

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Source: Los Angeles Times (edited)