Speaking at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos, the Prince sought to “reiterate and reaffirm” Buckingham Palace’s earlier statements that “emphatically denied” the allegations that he had sex with the minor, named Virginia Roberts in court documents.
The allegations are part of a wider court case against convicted sex offender, billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
“Firstly I think I must, (and) want, for the record to refer to the events that have taken place in the last few weeks and I just wish to reiterate and to reaffirm the statements which have already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace,” the prince said to the audience of business and political leaders.
The prince then went on to say that his focus now was on his work.
Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth, has been criticised in the past for his relationship with Epstein, who in 2008 was convicted of having sex with an underage girl whom he had solicited.
In an affidavit filed before the Prince’s speech at the forum, Roberts said that she was hurt by the prince’s denial.
Another man named in the case, American lawyer Alan Dershowitz, who has been accused of having sex with Roberts in 2001 when she was under-age, has filed a defamation case against Roberts and her lawyers.
