ITV documentary sheds light on Prince Andrew’s connection with disgraced socialite Ghislaine Maxwell
As Ghislaine Maxwell awaits sentencing in a New York prison after being found guilty on child sex trafficking charges, ITV's Ranvir Singh unravels the story of how an entitled daughter of a billionaire sank into shame and disgrace through her friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The ITV documentary, Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile, explores how Prince Andrew, the Queen's second son, became embroiled in the scandal as he faces his own possible civil court case brought by Virginia Giuffre who is accusing him of sexual assault.
The Duke, who has been stripped of his honorary military roles, his HRH style and his patronages by the Queen, denies any wrongdoing as the case continues to rumble on.
Speaking for the first time on television, former Buckingham Palace Royal Protection Officer, Paul Page, describes the access Maxwell had to the palace.
Mr Page said that he first met Ghislaine Maxwell in 2001, alleging: “From the way she was allowed to enter and exit the palace, at will, we realised… suspected, that she may have had an intimate relationship with Prince Andrew.”
“A colleague of mine remembered her coming in four times in one day from the morning till the evening – she kept coming in and out, in and out…” he claimed.
'She kept coming in and out': Former royal protection officer claims he and others saw Ghislaine Maxwell frequent Buckingham Palace for visits to Prince Andrew
The documentary also includes interviews with members of Maxwell and Epstein’s social circle.
Lady Victoria Hervey and Euan Rellie recall Prince Andrew’s presence at social occasions held by Maxwell and her interactions with him, as well as with Maxwell’s brother Ian who describes the friendship between his sister and Prince Andrew.
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Maxwell's trial shone a spotlight on the lifestyle of her, Epstein and their circle.
It was one that included private jets, New York mansions and luxury exotic islands.
The documentary explores Maxwell and Epstein's extensive network of rich, powerful and famous friends, speaking with some of those in their 'Little Black Book' of contacts.
ITV's Ranvir Singh calls a number attached to the Duke of York's name in the 'Little Black Book' but seemingly reaches his voicemail
In a clip, Ranvir spots an entry in the book under ‘Duke of York’, with Buckingham Palace, London, given as the address alongside numbers for other residences including Sunninghill, Wood Farm and Balmoral.
There also appears to be a phone number for Andrew which Ranvir calls.
Her call goes to voicemail and a voice sounding like Andrew is heard saying: "I'm afraid I have not been quick enough to get to the phone before it went off to take your message. If you do have a message, please leave it and I will get back to you as soon as I can."
The documentary examines evidence from the trial including flight logs from Epstein's private planes listing famous passengers.
Ranvir speaks to a juror at Maxwell’s trial, Scotty David, who recalls the details of the case and the drama in the courtroom.
Since the verdict against Maxwell was announced, Scotty David and at least one other juror have revealed they disclosed they were sexually abused as children during the jury deliberations.
Maxwell's lawyers believe that this may be grounds for a re-trial.
'It's like she was a stone': Juror in Maxwell's trial described seeing her stone cold reactions in court
Victims of Epstein and Maxwell, including Teresa Helm and Lisa Phillips, are interviewed in the documentary, telling Ranvir that Maxwell was equally to blame for using her influence as a woman to persuade them into Epstein's web of abuse. Their testimonies include details of their time on Epstein’s private Island, Little St James, nicknamed Orgy Island, by locals. Lisa Phillips, who was 21 when she first went to the island, recalls: “We got on the boat, we went over to the Island. We went to the quarters where we were to sleep.
"A woman came to the door and said that Jeffrey was ready for his massage. She made it seem like it was something normal - it was no big deal. Once we were in the room doing the massage is where things took a turn and it wasn't, um, normal anymore.”
Lisa Phillips described feeling powerless on the private island
Virginia Guiffre, who alleges in her civil claim that Prince Andrew sexually abused her on the island in 2001, said that a lot of younger girls were also on the island at the same time.
She is suing the duke in the US for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager and claims she was trafficked by Andrew’s friend, convicted sex offender Epstein, to have sex with the duke when she was 17 and a minor under US law.
But while flight logs of Epstein’s pilot, David Rogers, show that Prince Andrew visited the island, his lawyers refute all the claims made against him.
In the weeks ahead, Prince Andrew could face Virginia Giuffre's lawyer David Boies in court, a man known for the forensic intensity of his questioning.
Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile airs on ITV at 9pm on Tuesday 18 January and will be available on the ITV Hub afterwards