Queen puts on show of support for Prince Andrew after his paedo pal Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in jail
THE Queen put on a show of support for Prince Andrew today after his paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in prison.
Andrew is accused in court documents of romps with one of Epstein’s “sex slaves” when she was 17.
In a determined display of unity, Her Majesty invited her son to ride alongside her in her car as they were taken to church at Balmoral.
Her backing came 24 hours after his financier friend was found dead in his cell where he was awaiting trial accused of sex trafficking.
More witnesses are now tipped to come forward with allegations linked to Epstein.
Andrew had learned of Epstein’s death while at Balmoral with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and their two daughters on Saturday.
Further lurid claims of bedroom encounters with teenager Virginia Giuffre were made public in court papers in the US.
Buckingham Palace, acting on his behalf, has issued a statement strongly denying any wrongdoing.
The court struck out the allegations in 2015.
EPSTEIN ‘SUICIDE’ QUESTIONS
Last night the FBI was investigating Epstein’s death amid claims he had told authorities someone tried to kill him several weeks ago.
The billionaire had been taken off suicide watch a few days ago, despite being taken to hospital with neck wounds following an apparent suicide bid last month.
The US Attorney General has said his death “raises serious questions”.
Epstein was accused of arranging to have sex with dozens of underage girls at his residences in New York and Florida, but had denied two counts of sex trafficking.
Prosecutors are now focusing their probe on British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, also a friend of Andrew.
New York investigators, who said Epstein headed a sex trafficking ring, vowed to ruthlessly hunt down his alleged co-conspirators following his death.
HUNT FOR GHISLAINE
The billionaire, 66, was found hanged in his Manhattan prison cell after being accused of sexually abusing dozens of girls as young as 14. Authorities are now expected to hunt down his mysterious sidekick Maxwell, accused in court papers of procuring young girls and taking part in sex acts.
Maxwell called those claims ”fictitious lies”.
Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman insisted the investigation into the sex trafficking ring “conspiracy” would “remain ongoing” despite the death.
He praised the “brave young women” who had come forward and said he was “committed to standing for you”.
Jack Scarola, a lawyer for some of Epstein’s victims, told The Sun: “Based on all the information currently available, Miss Maxwell is a significant focus of criminal investigation right now.”
CONSPIRACY INVESTIGATIONS
Epstein’s victims hope more girls will come forward to nail those who helped him lure the teens into his sex-slave ring — because the pervert’s reign of fear has ended.
Mr Scarola added: “Other victims who have not yet come forward have information that will help bring Epstein’s co-conspirators, enablers, recruiters, and fellow traffickers to justice.
“Our efforts to achieve that goal will not stop and our clients will not rest easy until all of those who participated in Epstein’s crimes are brought to justice.”
Lawyer Spencer Kuvin, who represents three of Epstein’s victims, said: “There are conspiracy investigations ongoing which involve numerous individuals. That continues.”
Despite her links to ex-lover Epstein, jailed on prostitution charges in 2008, elusive Maxwell kept up her party-loving lifestyle for years.
She attended the 2010 wedding of Chelsea Clinton and was even pictured at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2014.
But she vanished from the celebrity circuit in 2015 when Virginia Giuffre’s allegations against her and Prince Andrew created a frenzy.
Virginia, whose previous surname was Roberts, is now a 35-year-old mother of three.
She says she was recruited by Maxwell at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to work as a masseuse for Epstein.
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Sources close to Maxwell, daughter of disgraced tycoon Robert Maxwell, say she is back in England. Lawyer Alan Dershowitz, who had previously acted for Epstein, also told The Sun he believed she was in London. But a housekeeper at the home she is said to be at in London’s Belgravia claimed to The Sun she was in the US.
The cache of court documents also appear to suggest princes William and Harry may have met Epstein when they were children.
Buckingham Palace said: “Any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue. It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.”
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