Prince Andrew once defended his controversial friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, telling a friend who warned him against it that they were being “such a puritan,” a 2011 report from Vanity Fair claimed.
It comes in stark contrast to a Buckingham Palace statement on Monday, which said Andrew is “appalled” by reports of Epstein’s alleged sex crimes.
The article, by feature writer Edward Klein for the August 2011 issue cited an unnamed source, “who knows both men well,” as saying:
“After Jeffrey was convicted, I phoned Andrew and told him, ‘You cannot have a relationship with Jeffrey. You can’t do these things.’
“And he said, ‘Stop giving me a hard time. You’re such a puritan.’
“From there, our conversation descended into a screaming match, and finally Andrew said, ‘Leave me alone. Jeffrey’s my friend. Being loyal to your friends is a virtue. And I’m going to be loyal to him.'” – READ MORE