On a yacht in Phuket, Thailand, the Duke of York, who was forty years old at the time and had two small children, was famously shown partying with nude women.
According to reports, Ghislaine Maxwell joined the two on their crazy journey and lodged at the Duke’s hotel.
On the island, Andrew and Epstein were spotted in a few clubs in Patong resort town, one of which had semi-naked go-go dancers working for them.
The seedy trip provides insight into Andrew and the couple’s once-seemingly intimate connection.
This was only a few months before he was accused of abusing Virginia Roberts Giuffre sexually, and it is reported that at this time he grew closer to them.
Andrew maintains that he never met Virginia and has consistently refuted any inappropriate behavior related to his relationships with Epstein and Maxwell.
Now sixty-three, his denials have come back this week with even more venom after a new batch of secret court documents pertaining to Epstein and his well-known friends were made public.
Bombshell Epstein files
US judge Loretta Preska released over a thousand pages of evidence this week, including emails, depositions, and court filings from the 2010s.
The files are a part of the case that Virginia Giuffre filed in 2015 against Ghislaine Maxwell, the madam of Epstein, who is presently serving a 20-year term for sex trafficking.
There are many details about the graphic sex accusations against convicted paedophiles Epstein and Maxwell, as well as startling charges about Andrew.
They include claims that he touched a woman’s breast with a puppet while she was curled up in his lap like “Santa” and that he participated in a “underage orgy” while he was visiting Epstein’s private island.
In addition, they assert that convicted sex offender Epstein “forced” an unidentified Jane Doe, who is thought to be his well-known accuser Virginia Giuffre, to “have sexual relations” with the Duke.
The papers also list a number of well-known individuals, including Maxwell and Giuffre’s earlier testimonies, including Donald Trump, Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton, and Stephen Hawking.
The records provided more insight into Epstein’s social circles and his open boasting about the celebrities he claimed to be acquainted with.
Thailand trip
While Epstein was a visitor at the Queen’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk in December 2000, Andrew gave his close friend Maxwell permission to celebrate her 39th birthday there.
While Andrew spent £20,000 putting on a pheasant shooting weekend to wow his pals, the American investor and Maxwell’s on-again, off-again boyfriend was allowed to land his private jet at the adjacent RAF Marham base.
And then, it is said that on December 27, right after Christmas, Andrew and Ghislaine took a flight to Thailand, where they reconnected with Epstein.
Prince Andrew is said to have met with Maxwell, Epstein, and 17-year-old Roberts at the private members club in March 2001, a mere two months after he was sighted on a yacht in Thailand with a “bevvy” of semi-naked ladies. Following their meeting, Prince Andrew is said to have returned to Maxwell’s London home.
On this particular evening, the infamous photo of Andrew putting his arm around Virginia is said to have been shot prior to the teenager receiving $10,000 (£8,000) for having sex with the Duke.
The Duke enjoyed a private home with a private swimming pool and red and gold bedroom that cost £4,000 a night at the opulent hotel on Phuket, a party island.
The Sun Online spoke with Lana, a Canadian journalist living in Phuket, who described the hotel as an ultra-exclusive resort that is popular with celebrities and others seeking extreme privacy and luxury.
Strangely enough, this was the same hotel that Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, and her financial advisor John Barry visited when she was still married to Andrew, before to the public revelation of the photo in which he was seen sucking her toes in St. Tropez.
As part of the information released on Friday, the maid for Epstein in Palm Beach stated that Fergie came to the estate with Andrew, giving him “daily massages” while he was there.
The infamous photos of Andrew aboard the hotel’s yacht with a group of nude women first surfaced during this vacation.
During the nights, the Duke and Epstein allegedly visited the local red-light district of Patong, a renowned resort located around one hour’s drive south of the hotel.
The two were entertained in-store by the Banana Disco, whose website has footage of young ladies in skimpy clothing.
According to Lana, the owner of the travel blog gophuket.net, Banana Disco is a well-liked nightclub among travelers. It features a dance floor, DJ music, and cocktails without any exclusivity.
According to the shocking documents made public this week, Andrew “did have knowledge” of Epstein’s sexual offenses.
He was included in a list of possible witnesses that Epstein’s accuser and one of his victims, Giuffre, had submitted.
The list, Exhibit 13, page 6, was filed by Ms. Giuffre’s attorney with her defamation lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell.
The listing for Andrew states that he had “interaction with underage minors, including Virginia Giuffre” and “knows of Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking conduct.”
The newly discovered data also revealed that, following Andrew’s inclusion on the list of potential witnesses in the defamation trial, preparations were underway to subpoena his travel logs.