Among courtiers there is considerable anxiety about what Ghislaine Maxwell's arrest means for the Duke of York, writes Richard Kay.
There is never a good time for the proverbial "bad penny" to turn up, so imagine how the Queen received news of the arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell and her appearance in court on sex-trafficking charges.
The property in Bradford, New Hampshire where Ghislaine Maxwell, former associate of late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested by the FBI. Picture: Drone Base/Reuters If anyone knows the truth it must be Maxwell, whom Andrew befriended during visits to New York after his divorce from the Duchess of York.
With the benefit of hindsight, the prompt action — brokered by Prince Charles and Prince William — has been the only moment when the royals have been on the front foot. Andrew’s stubborn failure to sever contacts with Epstein after he was first accused of under-age sex offences, was the major contributor to his own downfall.
Although the relationship between the two was said to be platonic, their lives were so intertwined that Fergie was reported to have become concerned that Maxwell was exerting an unhealthy influence on him. Even so, the two remained friends. "She would ring and say: “Ten of us are going to a restaurant then a club. Do come, it will be fun.” She was persuasive, too, and Andrew loved that."
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