After his controversial interview to clean his name with all the issues surrounding him, Prince Andrew would continue doing his royal duties as usual. Queen Elizabeth II herself was reportedly "on board" with the talk and seemed undamaged with the issue. The royal family might be expecting everything would return to normal after the discussion.
A source close to the Duke of York revealed that he would be performing "official engagements" very soon. Another insider assured that he stood by his decision to give the BBC interview to address the issues surrounding him with "honesty and humility."
In the controversial interview with Emily Maitlis at Buckingham Palace, Prince Andrew denied sleeping with then 17-year-old Virginia Roberts. A friend, who helped him evaluate the photo that saw his arm around the teenage woman in a house in Belgravia, noticed that the talk "rebounded" Sarah Ferguson's ex-husband.
"I thought to put himself in front of a forensic journalist and answer so many questions like that were very brave," the unnamed friend added. According to Express, the interview gave Prince Andrew the chance to give an alibi.
Prince Andrew insisted that he was at Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey, at the time the alleged sleeping together took place on March 10, 2001. It happened, allegedly, for the first time after a night of dancing at the London nightclub Tramp. Sources close to the prince explained that it took him eight years before he defended himself as the date only emerged today.
However, Virginia Roberts, who is known as Virginia Giuffre today, never gave a date when the photo was taken before he allegedly slept with the prince. Channel 4 Dispatches team, who checked back flight logs and other records, claimed that March 10 was "likely the date."
Prince Andrew also stressed that the controversy didn't damage his mother, who also signed off the idea of giving the interview to clear his name. Queen Elizabeth was reportedly on board with the discussion of his son to Emily Maitlis.
The Newsnight presenter revealed that Prince Andrew had to "seek approval from higher up" before he did the interview. Emily Maitlis assumed that Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie's father was pertaining to Queen Elizabeth.
"The Queen, it seems, is on board," she said. Before the interview, Emily Maitlis also revealed that the discussion happened in the room, which was part of the Queen's former headquarters. She believed that the setting was a possible code from the monarch that she couldn't understand.
