Prince Andrew was seen horseback riding at Windsor Castle on Saturday, maintaining his routine despite new allegations surfacing in an upcoming memoir that questions his conduct during a massage session at Buckingham Palace in 2000. The allegations come from Monique Giannelloni, a 60-year-old masseuse, who claims that the prince's behavior was "inappropriate" and "an abuse of his privilege."
Dressed in a burgundy sweater and navy shirt, the Duke of York, 65, rode through the extensive Windsor estate accompanied by a female groom. The outing marked another appearance by the embattled royal, who has largely remained out of the public eye since stepping down from official duties in 2019 following scrutiny over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Giannelloni alleges that she was introduced to Andrew by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate who was convicted in 2021 for her role in trafficking young girls for sexual abuse. Giannelloni claims Maxwell arranged for her to provide a massage for Andrew at Buckingham Palace with minimal vetting.
According to excerpts from her memoir, Giannelloni described being surprised by Andrew's demeanor. "He did not do anything or suggest anything untoward, but I was very uncomfortable and a bit shocked that he had acted like that," she said, referring to the prince removing his bathrobe and towel before climbing onto the massage table.
She also claims that Maxwell repeatedly invited her to lavish parties with Epstein, including an event on a yacht. "It wasn't difficult for me to reject her offers. I just didn't feel right about her boat parties," she said. Reflecting on her past encounters with Maxwell and Andrew, she questioned, "Was Ghislaine trying to involve me and Andrew in her sordid lifestyle?"
Giannelloni says she has kept the £75 check from the session, signed by Andrew's aide, as proof of their meeting. She expressed distress at realizing how close she came to Epstein's network, stating, "Andrew should never have been in contact with these people."
The allegations add to Andrew's ongoing struggles to rehabilitate his reputation after a widely criticized 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, where he attempted to defend his past association with Epstein. Following the fallout, he was stripped of his royal patronages and military titles and removed from public-facing duties.
Despite pressure from King Charles III to vacate the Royal Lodge, where he has resided with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson since 2004, Andrew has remained in the 30-room estate. The king had reportedly suggested he relocate to Frogmore Cottage, previously occupied by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Andrew has also lost his £1 million annual allowance, though he has secured alternative funding sources.
Maxwell, now 62, is serving a 20-year prison sentence in the U.S. for facilitating Epstein's abuse of underage girls. Epstein, arrested on sex trafficking charges in 2019, died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell five weeks later.
