Ghislaine Maxwell received a sentence of 20 years in federal prison on Tuesday, June 28, for her role in helping Jeffrey Epstein in trafficking young girls for sex. With this verdict, experts believe it's not good news for Prince Andrew but the "final nail in the coffin."
The trial has exposed Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein's connection to some of the most powerful men in the world, including Prince Andrew. However, investigative journalist Vicky Ward sees the former socialite as the only one accountable for all the crimes.
The "Chasing Ghislaine" podcast creator said, via 9Honey, that though the female convicted sex offender should "pay the price" for her crimes, she didn't do it alone. Sure, the Duke of York was stripped of his royal titles and made an out-of-court settlement to his accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, saving him from his involvement in the case, but she said it was just "paltry prices to pay."
Ward added that Jeffrey Epstein might be dead, but the "power structure that enabled him" continued until today. With that said, royal correspondent Richard Palmer wrote in Express that Ghislaine Maxwell's sentencing wasn't good news for Prince Andrew.
In fact, it's "another nail in the coffin" for the ruined reputation of Queen Elizabeth II's son. However, it couldn't be denied that the daughter of the late British media proprietor Robert Maxwell stood by the prince to the last.
She has never sold him out despite her conditions at Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn since she was arrested in July 2020. She has also remained mum about him and never said he did anything wrong even once.
Anyhow, critics believed that Prince Andrew's friendship with her would forever taint his reputation. Former palace police protection officer Paul Page also said he had "important questions to answer" and it would never go away despite his silence.
Meanwhile, Ghislaine Maxwell spoke to the victims in court before she received her sentence, per CNN. She said Jeffrey Epstein should be in front of them all, though that day was not about the late financier but her verdict.
She acknowledged that she had been convicted in the sex trafficking scheme but suddenly stopped to take responsibility. She then apologized for the pain the victims had experienced and hoped her conviction would bring them closure.
Judge Alison Nathan cleared the Ghislain Maxwell wasn't sentenced in place of Jeffrey Epstein. Instead, Prince Andrew's female pal was convicted for her role in the case.
