The American woman who claims she had sex with Britain's Prince Andrew while under-age is writing a tell-all book.
Virginia Roberts alleges in US court papers that between 1999 and 2002, she "was forced to have sexual relations with this prince when she was a minor" in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by her then-employer Jeffrey Epstein, who she claims turned her into a sex slave.
Close friend Kate Kirton told MailOnline: "The fact that never boasted or talked about it to any of us to my knowledge lends credibility to what she went through in my estimation.
"She was probably the most open, friendly person you could care to meet.
"There is no way she could be regarded as a fantasist or anything like that. She was the kind of person who told things as they were - very ordinary, very likeable."
Kate revealed her friend told her some time ago that she'd started writing a book.
She said: "I never asked her what it was about, but now following what I've been reading about her, it all fits in - she is writing about what she went through, because what else would she be writing about?"
Meanwhile, Prince Andrew, 54, is expected to hold talks with his mother, Queen Elizabeth, and lawyers at some stage today (06.01.15), having flown back from a holiday in the Swiss Alps to deal with the issue.
The prince vehemently denies all of the accusations made against him.
Tagged in Queen Elizabeth Prince Andrew