A Cabinet minister has joined the co-writer of Virginia Guiffre’s posthumous memoirs in calling on Prince Andrew to disclose everything he knows about Jeffrey Epstein to US authorities.
Andrew and the royal family faced another wave of damaging details and allegations contained in the book, Nobody’s Girl, which was published on Tuesday.
The disgraced royal announced on Friday that he has given up use of his titles and honours amid intensified focus on his links with paedophile financier Epstein.
The prince vehemently denies the allegations that Ms Giuffre was forced to have sex with him three times after being trafficked by Epstein.
Nobody’s Girl ghostwriter Amy Wallace told BBC’s Newsnight that Ms Giuffre would have viewed Prince Andrew relinquishing use of his Duke of York title as a victory.
“I know that she would view it as a victory that he was forced by whatever means to voluntarily give them up,” Ms Wallace said.
“For many, maybe particularly in the United States, but maybe even in the UK, it’s a symbolic gesture but it’s an important one.
“It’s made history, modern history, in terms of the royal era.
“I mean I’ve never heard of such a thing happening and it also is just a step in the right direction.
“Virginia wanted all the men who she’d been trafficked to against her will to be held to account and this is just one of the men but… even though he continues to deny it his life is being eroded because of his past behaviour as it should be.”
In the book, Ms Giuffre says she feared she might die a sex slave at the hands of Epstein and his associates.
Ms Wallace said the prince should now tell the authorities what he knew about Epstein.
She said: “The thing about Prince Andrew that always lingers in my mind, is there’s a period where he indicated that he was willing to help investigators in the United States as they try to do their due diligence. But he was never available for some reason to do that.
“He said he would but he never did. And that’s something he could still do.
“He could say, as he has repeatedly, ‘I still deny that I was involved. I still deny that I did anything wrong. However, I was in these houses and I was on that island and I was on the jet, and I saw things and I know how much these women have suffered and I would like to share what I saw.”
A federal investigation into Epstein is taking place in the US, which has seen the release of a trove of documents relating to the convicted paedophile, including flight logs, jail surveillance video, court filings, audio recordings and emails.
But pressure has been growing from both Republicans and Democrats for more transparency after the justice department said in July there was no "incriminating" Epstein client list.
A Cabinet minister on Tuesday echoed Ms Wallace’s call for Andrew to give evidence to US authorities.
Asked whether he though Andrew should give evidence, Business Secretary Peter Kyle told ITV's Good Morning Britain: “I do.
“I think anybody that has any information that could bring justice and information to victims of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes should be fully engaging with any of the authorities that are seeking to deliver that information and justice for the victims.”
He added: “Those victims must be first, and they must be central to how we discuss and debate any of these issues relating to the Jeffrey Epstein saga situation and the crimes he committed.
“So of course, anybody, anywhere that has information that can deliver that justice should be sharing it openly."I believe that Andrew, in the past, has said that he would co-operate, and I urge him to stick to his word on that.”
