Prince Andrew breaks cover as Netflix film Scoop on car-crash Newsnight interview is released
The Duke of York was seen waving and smiling on top of a horse while riding round Windsor on Friday morning
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Your support makes all the difference.Prince Andrew has broken cover after he was spotted enjoying a horse ride on the same day a dramatisation of his car-crash BBC Newsnight interview was released.
The Duke of York was seen waving as he rode around Windsor on Friday as Netflix drama Scoop, which reenacts the story of how the BBC secured the now infamous interview, went live.
The 64-year-old was quizzed by Emily Maitlis on his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during the interview - when he made the bizarre claim he was at a Pizza Express in Woking at the time of an alleged assault.
Prince Andrew was named in the legal deposition of Virginia Roberts, who claimed she was trafficked to him by Epstein for sex at the age of 17.
In the exchange, he also refuted an allegation by Virginia Giuffre he was sweaty while with her at a London nightclub by claiming he had a “peculiar medical condition” meaning he couldn’t perspire.
Before the Newsnight interview, Andrew had a full diary of royal engagements. In the year before the disastrous chat, he carried out a total of 394 engagements - more than his nephew Prince William.
But just days after the disastrous interview in November 2019, the duke sensationally quit public life “for the foreseeable future”.
In a statement, approved by the late Queen, he said it had “become clear” to him that his “former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work.”
The drama is based on former Newsnight producer Sam McAlister’s memoir Scoop, which documents the negotiations between Buckingham Palace and the BBC which led to the interview.
Rufus Sewell stars as the late Queen’s son while Gillian Anderson portrays Ms Maitlis, who quizzed Andrew about his friendship with billionaire convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew was stripped of his military titles in 2022 and banned from using HRH in an official capacity by his late mother the Queen.
Recently he has begun appearing more prominently at royal events, with the Prince beaming as he stood in front and centre alongside Princess Anne and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson while attending the Easter Sunday Service at Windsor.
The Duke attended the St George’s Chapel service with ex-wife and other family members- and was seen with a wide smile on his face as he led the way.
He has not commented on the film.
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