Topics: Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew, Jeffrey Epstein, Royal Family, News, UK News
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide and sexual abuse which some readers may find distressing.
Virginia Guiffre's harrowing posthumous memoir detailed an alleged disturbing moment between herself and Prince Andrew, which included a puppet.
For those who are unfamiliar, the book, which was published this week, includes claims of sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of the former Duke of York, 65, during her teenage years.
Giuffre's damning accusations first came to light in 2019, when she publicly accused Andrew of having had sex with her on three separate occasions when she was a minor, having allegedly first been introduced by convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
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Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing, however, ahead of the memoir being published, he gave up his royal titles and honours.
Giuffre, who tragically took her own life in April of this year, reached an out-of-court settlement with Andrew in 2022 after she pursued a civil suit against him in 2021, and she was paid an undisclosed amount.
Following the memoir's release, a number of shocking moments that allegedly took place between the pair have been detailed.
In one chapter, titled 'Puppets on a String,' she recalled her alleged second encounter with the royal, which she said took place at Epstein's town house in New York, about a month after they first met.
She described the decor as including 'black lacquered cabinetry, bloodred carpets, a huge taxidermied tiger, and a custom made chess set whose pieces were scantily-clad women'.
Giuffre also detailed 'a hidden black staircase whose bannister was adorned with a series of carved eyeballs that stared at you as you gripped them, climbing up or down'.
She penned: "The message was clear: 'We're always watching you'."
Explaining what happened that night, she wrote: "On this night, which as probably around April 2001, Epstein greeted Prince Andrew and brought him to the living room, where Maxwell [Ghislaine] and I were sitting. Another one of their victims, Johanna Sjoberg, arrived soon afterward. As always, when the prince was around, Maxwell was being a saucy flirt.
"She told Sjoberg to come with her to a closet, where she pulled out a puppet with a little tag on it that said 'Prince Andrew'."
She continued: "Maxwell then announced to the prince that she'd purchased him a joke gift, a puppet that looked just like him. She made a big show of giving it to him then suggested we pose for a photo with it.
"The prince and I sat down next to each other on the couch, and Maxwell put the puppet in my lap, positioning one of its hands on one of my breasts.
"Then she put Sjoberg on the prince's lap and the prince put his hand on Sjober's breast. The symbolism was impossible to ignore. Johanna and I were Maxwell and Epstein's puppets, and they were pulling the strings."
She harrowingly added: "Later, they sent me to a bedroom where I had sex with the prince for a second time."
Tyla has contacted a representative for Prince Andrew for comment.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sunday.
