In a 2019 Newsnight interview, BBC journalist Emily Maitlis, 52, confronted Prince Andrew, 63, about his controversial association with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, a friendship that had long raised public scrutiny.
The hour-long special, often described as a “car crash” interview, ultimately led to Prince Andrew’s downfall, with Queen Elizabeth II stripping him of his royal and military honors.
Maitlis, however, asserted that her intention was never to “ruin his life” with her probing questions.
Instead, she focused on conducting an interview that could withstand legal scrutiny. Reflecting on the aftermath, Maitlis admitted that the interview had profoundly changed Andrew’s life, something he likely hadn’t expected. Despite the repercussions, she remained proud of the interview and her team’s work, emphasizing that they approached the subject matter with diligence and integrity.
In Andrew’s defense, Maitlis acknowledged that as a royal, he lacked the privilege of addressing public concerns directly through social media or other means. This made the interview a significant opportunity for him to present his perspective and proclaim his innocence against the allegations of sex trafficking and befriending a pedophile.
The fallout from the interview was severe, with Andrew losing his HRH title, patronage, and military titles. The move came amid sexual assault allegations from Virginia Giuffre, who claimed to have been forced into sexual encounters with the prince when she was just 17. Andrew’s lawyers have repeatedly denied these allegations, reaching an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre last February.
Most recently, King Charles, Andrew’s brother, excluded him from Buckingham Palace, further isolating him from the royal fold.
Despite the controversy and impact on Prince Andrew’s life, Maitlis stood by her journalistic integrity, recognizing the importance of holding figures in power accountable through rigorous and fair reporting. The interview was pivotal in Andrew’s tumultuous journey, forever altering his public standing and royal position.