Prince Andrew ‘asked Emily Maitlis if he should mention he couldn’t sweat in their Newsnight interview’
- The broadcaster famously quizzed the Duke of York in November 2019
- He addressed claims made by Virginia Roberts that he assaulted her three times
- Claims that he had sweated profusely during alleged dance at Tramp nightclub
- Duke said to Ms Maitlis he could not sweat because of medical condition
- Ms Maitlis wrote on the BBC website that Andrew met with her before interview
- He allegedly asked her if he should mention the sweating claim
Prince Andrew allegedly asked the BBC’s Emily Maitlis if he should mention that he was ‘unable to sweat’ in their infamous Newsnight interview.
The broadcaster quizzed the Duke of York in November 2019 over allegations made by Virginia Roberts that he had sex with her three times after she was trafficked by paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Miss Roberts, who is now suing the Duke under married name of Giuffre, claimed he had sweated profusely when she claimed to have danced with him in 2001 at London’s Tramp nightclub.
The prince claimed in his interview with Ms Maitlis that a medical condition after being shot at during the Falklands War left him unable to perspire.
Writing on the BBC website yesterday, Ms Maitlis said Andrew asked her during a meeting at Buckingham Palace in the days leading up to the grilling if it would be ‘interesting’ for him to mention the claim.
The news comes after it emerged that Prince Andrew could settle out of court with Ms Giuffre if US judge Lewis Kaplan rules that the her case against him should go to trial.
Andrew’s lawyers argued this week in a New York court that Miss Roberts’ case should not go to trial because of a 2009 civil settlement she made with Epstein.
The Duke’s legal team said that in return for a $500,000 (£370,000) payout, she agreed to waive her right to sue any other ‘potential defendants’ – which would include the prince, given the allegations she has made against him.
Prince Andrew allegedly asked the BBC’s Emily Maitlis if he should mention that he was ‘unable to sweat’ in their infamous Newsnight interview
The broadcaster quizzed the Duke of York in November 2019 over allegations made by Virginia Roberts that he had sex with her three times after she was trafficked by paedophile Jeffrey Epstein
Ms Maitlis wrote this week that she and her production team were invited ‘right into the heart of Buckingham Palace’ to meet the Duke in the days before the November 2019 interview.
‘It was Prince Andrew who volunteered the information to me in that early meeting that he was “unable to sweat”,’ she said.
‘His Falkland Islands wartime experiences, he claimed, had produced a glut of adrenalin that meant he hadn’t been able to sweat properly since being shot at.
‘I remember him asking me very directly if we thought that would be interesting to hear.
‘And I said yes – I was fascinated by adrenalin – and that we wanted to hear as much detail of his account as we could.’
Ms Maitlis also said that Andrew agreed to the interview because he wanted to ‘clear his name’.
Andrew’s lawyers argued this week in a New York court that Miss Roberts’ case should not go to trial because of a 2009 civil settlement she made with Epstein (pictured)
Virginia Roberts, who is bringing the case under her married name Giuffre, holds a photo of herself at age 16, when she says Palm Beach multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein began abusing her sexually
She added: ‘He believed things had been said about him that he could disprove. And he had his defence ready.’
The infamous interview, in which Andrew also claimed to have been at Pizza Express in Woking on one of the days that Miss Roberts claims he assaulted her, was viewed millions of times.
It led to Andrew stepping back from the royal limelight.
Miss Roberts is making a claim against the Duke for battery and infliction of emotional distress.
She claims she was raped on three occasions in 2001 when she was 17 and he was 41.
Prince Andrew could settle out of court with his US sex-case accuser if a judge rules that the case should go to trial. Insiders say the option ‘remains on the table’ if, as expected, Judge Lewis Kaplan rejects his legal team’s motion this week to have Virginia Roberts’ lawsuit dismissed at an early stage (Andrew pictured in BBC interview, 2019)
The potential settlement of her claims before they proceed to trial would mean Andrew could avoid having to be interviewed by Miss Roberts’ lawyers.
Andrew’s legal team said this week that Miss Roberts’ case should be thrown out.
They highlighted her previous settlement with Epstein and argue she has not given enough specifics about the alleged abuse and that her pursuit of the case was ‘unconstitutional’.
Judge Kaplan said on Tuesday he would issue his ruling on whether the case should go to trial ‘pretty soon’.
However, the judge did verbally dismiss many of the arguments made by Andrew’s lawyers.
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