06 April 2024 , 13:25
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Prince Andrew's car crash Newsnight interview left viewers stunned when it first aired and for reporter Emily Maitlis, three words in particular 'changed everything' for her. The Duke of York intended to clear his reputation with the 45-minute sitdown, but instead, it changed the course of his life forever, in what became a historic PR disaster.
It generated much public disdain and debate, so much so that it has been dramatised and turned into a film - Scoop - by Netflix. Starring big names like Gillian Anderson, Rufus Sewell and Billie Piper, the new film explores just how the interview came to be, and why Andrew even agreed to take part in the first place.
According to Maitlis, when the Prince chose three particular words, it led to her realisation of his true motives, after which the interview just flowed.
During the November 2019 interview, the Duke of York famously made a number of claims, most notably about his alleged inability to sweat, and his assertion that he had been at the Woking branch of Pizza Express at the time of Virginia Giuffre's alleged sexual assault. One month later, Maitlis herself opened up about what it had been like to see Prince Andrew 'unleashed', revealing the one telling moment 16 minutes into the bombshell interview that would prove 'pivotal'.
There was a 'pivotal moment' 16 minutes in (BBC)In an article penned for The Guardian, Maitlis, 53, shared how 'reasonable' Andrew appeared to be when they first started recording, recalling: "We began to record. I thought about how reasonable he sounded. He was explaining why Jeffrey Epstein was never really his friend, more 'a friend of a friend'. For one moment, I imagined I had got everything wrong, misunderstood the story entirely. But I stuck to the line of questioning. And it paid off."
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She continued: "Does he regret the visit to stay with Epstein? 'Yes'. Does he regret the whole friendship? It was around 16 minutes into the interview – and it was the answer that, for me, changed everything. 'Still not', he said. And told me of the opportunities he was given by Epstein that were 'actually very useful …'. It was such a candid admission, such a bald refusal to play the game with any wider apology or regret. It would become the pivotal moment of the entire hour. This is a man – a prince – who did not come to repent. He came to earn back his right to tell the story his way."
Maitlis quickly realised Prince Andrew hadn't 'come to repent' (BBC)Mere days after the interview, Andrew, 63, was essentially 'sacked' from his Royal duties by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. He released the following statement at the time: "It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family's work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support.
"Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission. I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure."
A version of this article was published in November 2023.
If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999