Prince William was left looking uncomfortable when asked about his uncle the Duke of York.
William was visiting London's Foundling Museum on Wednesday when a Sky News journalist asked him about his disgraced relative, who was last week stripped of his military titles and royal patronages as he faces the prospect of a sexual assault trial in the US.
You can see his response here:
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The exchange caused a heated debate online, with some berating the future king while others were more sympathetic. One tweeted: "Quite right it’s not his place to comment on family members especially over something as sensitive and under legal review."
It comes just days after Prince Charles' response to the very same question sparked a debate online.
Heir to the throne Charles was on an official engagement in Scotland, to see the destruction caused by Storm Arwen in November.
When asked to comment on “his brother’s position” by a Sky News journalist, Prince Charles refused to respond.
Some Twitter users have called Prince Charles "unprofessional" and "out of touch" for avoiding the question regarding his brother.
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One person said: “He shouldn’t be hiding away from important questions.”
However, some have criticised the journalist for ambushing the royal.
On the 13th January, a statement was released by the royal family after a New York judge ruled that Prince Andrew may have to face a civil trial after Virginia Giuffre accused him of historic sexual assault.
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Giuffre alleges she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew back in 2001 when she was only 17 years old after being trafficked by disgraced financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019.
Prince Andrew has consistently denied the allegations made against him - most notably in a disastrous 2019 BBC interview - and claims that he has no recollection of meeting Ms Giuffre, despite a picture appearing to show both parties together.
A lawyer for Giuffre says she is unlikely to accept "a financial settlement out of court" from the Prince.
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On Tuesday, ITV aired the documentary Ghislaine, Prince Andrew And The Paedophile, which explores the Queen's son's friendship with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
In one scene, ITV's Ranvir Singh calls a phone number listed under Prince Andrew's name in Maxwell's 'little black book'.
"The names and numbers in here are vast," she says, before spotting Prince Andrew's name and several phone numbers.
“The Duke of York, Buckingham Palace, London, and then there are numbers for Sunninghill, Wood Farm, his equerry, Balmoral, there’s something what looks like a mobile phone number on here. I’m going to give it a go.”
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Although Prince Andrew does not pick up the phone, his voicemail message is still active. Ranvir is left visibly in shock after hearing the Duke of York’s voice.
Prince Andrew said in the pre-recorded message: “I'm afraid I have not been quick enough to get to the phone before it went off to take your message. If you do have a message, please leave it and I will get back to as soon as I can.”
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Royal Family, News
