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Jeffrey Epstein's mansion was like "Eyes Wide Shut with a twist" during a dinner with Prince Andrew, according to Katie Couric's memoir.

The Duke of York told the BBC he stayed with the New York financier, who was at the time a convicted pedophile, in order to break off the friendship honorably in 2010.

Queen Elizabeth II's son was dismissive of suggestions a party was thrown in his honor and said: "I went there with the sole purpose of saying to him that because he had been convicted, it was inappropriate for us to be seen together."

However, Katie Couric describes being at a dinner party Epstein threw where Andrew was a guest, saying the townhouse was like "Eyes Wide Shut with a twist—creepy chandeliers and body-part art."

The former Today host said lasagna was served in bowls and Epstein "held court" by the fireplace, but her then-boyfriend Brooks Perlin commented on the women who took their coats, noting how young they were.

In extracts of biography Going There published by The Daily Mail, she writes: "I couldn't imagine what Epstein and Andrew were up to, apart from trying to cultivate friends in the media. Which, in retrospect, they must have figured they'd need when the pedophilia charges started rolling in."

Prince Andrew stepped back from public life after a car crash interview with Emily Maitlis on BBC Newsnight in November 2019, when she asked him about the dinner.

The prince said: "Oh, in 2010, there certainly wasn't a party to celebrate his release in December because it was a small dinner party, there were only eight or 10 of us I think at the dinner. If there was a party then I'd know nothing about that."

On staying with Epstein in New York, he added: "At the end of the day, with a benefit of all the hindsight that one can have, it was definitely the wrong thing to do. But at the time I felt it was the honorable and right thing to do and I admit fully that my judgment was probably colored by my tendency to be too honorable but that's just the way it is."

The duke was also photographed walking in Central Park with Epstein during the same stay over several days in December 2010.

Prince Andrew is being sued by Virginia Giuffre, who says she was made to have sex with him in London, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands while she was 17 in the early 2000s.

The prince initially challenged attempts to serve him papers in the case but has now accepted he has been served and has been given until October 29 to respond.

Giuffre lawyers wrote in a filing: "During each of the aforementioned incidents, [Giuffre] was compelled by express or implied threats by Epstein, [Ghislaine] Maxwell, and/or Prince Andrew to engage in sexual acts with Prince Andrew, and feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions for disobeying Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew due to their powerful connections, wealth, and authority."

The prince's lawyer, Andrew B. Brettler, told a New York court on September 13: "We believe however that this is a baseless, non-viable, and potentially unlawful lawsuit.

"There has been a settlement agreement that the plaintiff has entered into on a prior action that releases the Duke and others from any and all potential liability."

Andrew denies any sexual relationship with Giuffre.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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