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| Prince Andrew 'sex slave' scandal: Virginia Roberts 'met the Queen' | Prince Andrew 'sex slave' scandal: Virginia Roberts 'met the Queen' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The teenager at the centre of a Royal sex abuse scandal was introduced to the Queen in London, her father has claimed. | The teenager at the centre of a Royal sex abuse scandal was introduced to the Queen in London, her father has claimed. |
| Virginia Roberts, the alleged underage "sex slave" of Prince Andrew's billionaire friend Jeffrey Epstein, was "so excited" to meet the Queen, her father told The Sun. | Virginia Roberts, the alleged underage "sex slave" of Prince Andrew's billionaire friend Jeffrey Epstein, was "so excited" to meet the Queen, her father told The Sun. |
| Sky Roberts, 58, said: "Virginia told me a few years back that she met Prince Andrew when she went to London. | Sky Roberts, 58, said: "Virginia told me a few years back that she met Prince Andrew when she went to London. |
| "She also said while they were there she met the Queen. | "She also said while they were there she met the Queen. |
| "She had been flown to London by Jeffrey [Epstein]. He would fly her all over the world and she would give him massages on his private jet." | "She had been flown to London by Jeffrey [Epstein]. He would fly her all over the world and she would give him massages on his private jet." |
| In its third statement on the matter, Buckingham Palace denied the claim: "We have no record of such a meeting." | In its third statement on the matter, Buckingham Palace denied the claim: "We have no record of such a meeting." |
| Mr Roberts has reportedly since retracted his claim with the following statement sent to the Mail Online: "I want to clear up that many years ago Virginia stated to me she was to meet the Queen's son Prince Andrew and not the Queen herself. I'm sorry for any misunderstanding." | |
| Prince Andrew, whom Buckingham Palace this weekend denied had "any form of sexual contact" with Virginia Roberts, has returned to the UK from a skiing holiday in Switzerland to manage the crisis enveloping the Palace. | Prince Andrew, whom Buckingham Palace this weekend denied had "any form of sexual contact" with Virginia Roberts, has returned to the UK from a skiing holiday in Switzerland to manage the crisis enveloping the Palace. |
| American billionaire Epstein, a convicted sex offender whose friendship with Prince Andrew has long been a source of controversy, has been accused in a US civil lawsuit of running a sex trafficking ring for rich and powerful men — including the Prince, according to court papers filed on behalf of "Jane Doe 3", who has been named as Virginia Roberts. | American billionaire Epstein, a convicted sex offender whose friendship with Prince Andrew has long been a source of controversy, has been accused in a US civil lawsuit of running a sex trafficking ring for rich and powerful men — including the Prince, according to court papers filed on behalf of "Jane Doe 3", who has been named as Virginia Roberts. |
| The court documents in the US legal action relating to Epstein, in which the Duke of York has been named but not as a party to the action, allege that the then 17-year old Roberts was forced by Epstein to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions — in London, New York and as part of an orgy on Epstein's private Caribbean island. | The court documents in the US legal action relating to Epstein, in which the Duke of York has been named but not as a party to the action, allege that the then 17-year old Roberts was forced by Epstein to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions — in London, New York and as part of an orgy on Epstein's private Caribbean island. |
| Buckingham Palace issued a statement on Friday that said "any suggestion of impropriety with under-age minors" by the Duke was "categorically untrue". | Buckingham Palace issued a statement on Friday that said "any suggestion of impropriety with under-age minors" by the Duke was "categorically untrue". |
| In the court documents, Roberts states that she was invited to Epstein's Florida mansion as a 15-year-old before becoming his “sex slave” from 1999 to 2002. | In the court documents, Roberts states that she was invited to Epstein's Florida mansion as a 15-year-old before becoming his “sex slave” from 1999 to 2002. |
| She claims to have been passed around “politically connected and financially powerful people” to help Epstein ingratiate himself for “business, personal, political and financial gain as well as to obtain potential blackmail information”. | She claims to have been passed around “politically connected and financially powerful people” to help Epstein ingratiate himself for “business, personal, political and financial gain as well as to obtain potential blackmail information”. |
| Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz - who is also named in the court papers - said the claims against him were part of a pattern of "made-up stories" by the woman and her lawyers against prominent people. | Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz - who is also named in the court papers - said the claims against him were part of a pattern of "made-up stories" by the woman and her lawyers against prominent people. |
| Prof Dershowitz, who represented Epstein in the 2008 case, said that he would not rest until he had shown that the claims regarding his conduct were false and he advised the Duke to do everything in his power to clear his name. | Prof Dershowitz, who represented Epstein in the 2008 case, said that he would not rest until he had shown that the claims regarding his conduct were false and he advised the Duke to do everything in his power to clear his name. |
| "My only feeling is, if she's lied about me, which I know to an absolute certainty she has, she should not be believed about anyone else," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. | "My only feeling is, if she's lied about me, which I know to an absolute certainty she has, she should not be believed about anyone else," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. |
| "We know she's lied about other public figures including a former prime minister and others who she claims to have participated in sexual activities with, so I think it must be presumed all her allegations against Prince Andrew were false as well." | "We know she's lied about other public figures including a former prime minister and others who she claims to have participated in sexual activities with, so I think it must be presumed all her allegations against Prince Andrew were false as well." |
| But in a statement released through her lawyers to The Guardian, Roberts hit back, saying: "These types of aggressive attacks on me are exactly the reason why sexual abuse victims typically remain silent and the reason why I did for a long time. That trend should change. | But in a statement released through her lawyers to The Guardian, Roberts hit back, saying: "These types of aggressive attacks on me are exactly the reason why sexual abuse victims typically remain silent and the reason why I did for a long time. That trend should change. |
| "I'm not going to be bullied back into silence." | "I'm not going to be bullied back into silence." |