Prince Andrew was "happy" with his 'Newsnight' interview.
Emily Maitlis famously interviews Prince Andrew
The 62-year-old royal was quizzed by Emily Maitlis about his friendship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in November 2019 and though the revelations from the discussion - which included the prince's claims that he couldn't sweat and a denial of sleeping with Virginia Giuffre because he had been at Pizza Express with daughter Princess Beatrice on the day in question - sparked widespread ridicule and ultimately led to Andrew stepping away from official duties, both he and Buckingham Palace were pleased with the chat.
Emily recalled discreetly asking Andrew's acquaintances what he had thought before the interview aired and was told he had been very pleased.
She told the Times Weekend magazine: “He went to one of his ‘straightforward shooting weekends’ and told everyone there he was happy. The palace told us it was ‘firm but fair’. I don’t think they realised how the public or press would react. They certainly weren’t expecting the furore.
“A good friend of Prince Charles said, ‘Don’t worry, you won’t be put in the Tower.’ I think they may have thought I had done what had to be done. I don’t feel guilty that he resigned from his royal roles four days later.”
The 51-year-old broadcaster praised Andrew for the way he conducted himself during and after the interview.
She said: “I felt he’d behaved rather well. He had given us this hour in the palace and was willing to talk about stuff. Most politicians now won’t even talk about their own policies. So at least he had guts.
“He spent a long time afterwards chatting to us and allowing us to take shots going along the corridors. He even gave me this guided tour, saying, ‘Her Majesty is just up these stairs. When you next come back I’ll have to show you more. And do you know what’s behind that door?’ ”
The interview had been arranged in secret and even Emily's parents didn't know about it until it aired.
She said: "Almost no one knew except the Queen."
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