Prince Andrew: Duke 'wants to do another interview on Jeffrey Epstein to show remorse'

Prince Andrew is said to be considering another interview about his ties to the billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York is reportedly eager to be given another chance to explain his friendship with the disgraced financier following the fallout from his Newsnight appearance.

Andrew’s attempts to rebuild his image with the Saturday evening BBC interview backfired, with his appearance widely criticised as a “car crash”.

Vanity Fair reports a Royal source as saying that Andrew has “not drawn a line” under the disastrous exchange, and wants to address the criticism.

“There are rumours swirling that Andrew wants to do another interview,” said the source. “Andrew hasn’t drawn a line under it. He wants the chance to put right the things he didn’t say.

“Newsnight gave him the chance to show some remorse. He was asked if there was anything else he wanted to say. It was an open goal—he didn’t grasp it, and I think he sees that now.”

But Buckingham Palace says it is “not aware” of any further interviews planned, the website reports. Royal sources told the Evening Standard that the Queen and other senior family members "back and believe" Andrew's innocence "100 per cent".

The duke denies claims by Virginia Roberts, now Virginia Giuffre, that he had sex with her when she was 17. She spoke to BBC Panorama three weeks ago and stands by her claims.

A number of businesses and charities which have backed the duke for years are now reviewing their relationship with him, as pressure mounts on Andrew to help the FBI with their investigation into the convicted sex offender.

On Monday KPMG said it was cutting ties with Andrew’s Prince@Palace entrepreneur scheme, which the corporate giant sponsored for £100,000 a year.

In another major blow, Standard Chartered also announced on Tuesday that it was severing its links to the Queen’s second son.

And students at Huddersfield University also passed a motion calling for the royal to resign from his post as the institution’s chancellor, using the hashtag #notmychancellor as part of their campaign.

Huddersfield University has stood by the duke, insisting his “enthusiasm for innovation and entrepreneurship is a natural fit with the work of the university”.

London Metropolitan University also confirmed that they “will be reviewing the position of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, as our Patron at the next Board of Governors meeting on Tuesday 26th November.”

The duke has also become embroiled in a race row after Evening Standard columnist Rohan Silva claimed Andrew used the n-word during a Buckingham Palace meeting in 2012.