Prince is tonight hosting entrepreneur event at World Economic Forum
Denies sex claims and tells Davos conference: 'My focus is on my work'
It's the first time Duke of York has made public statement on allegations
He has faced mounting pressure to speak on claims he slept with girl
She claims they had sex three times, in the UK, America and Caribbean
Virginia Roberts's lawyers served Prince letter over sexual allegations
It asks for 'voluntary cooperation' for Prince to be questioned under oath
Buckingham Palace refused to sign for post and sent it back to Florida
New Zealand PM John Key: 'People are innocent until proven guilty'
The Duke of York today for the first time publicly denied allegations he had underage sex with a teenager, 'reiterating and reaffirming' Buckingham Palace statements that rebutted the claims.
Prince Andrew was in Davos, Switzerland, to meet the world's most rich and powerful people as he faced growing pressure to testify on oath about his contacts with the alleged ‘sex slave'.
The 54-year-old, who is fifth in line to the throne, said: 'Firstly, I think I must 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. My focus is on my work.'
Virginia Roberts claims she had sex three times with the Duke of York including at an orgy on a Caribbean island involving eight other young girls.
In Davos: Prince Andrew looked resolute and calm as he spoke for the first time to deny the sex accusations
In good spirits: The Duke of York spoke this evening to 'reiterate and reaffirm' Buckingham Palace statements
Putting on his glasses: Andrew arrived at the World Economic Forum event with business leaders to host his first official public engagement since he was accused of having sex with an underage girl
Buckingham Palace has issued strong denials on the Prince’s behalf.
He arrived at the World Economic Forum event with business leaders to host his first official public engagement since he was accused of having sex with Miss Roberts.
Andrew looked relaxed and at ease as he joined around 200 guests at an exclusive hotel in the Swiss resort to promote promising British entrepreneurs.
Miss Roberts also lodged fresh documents at a Florida court saying her lawyers had served an extraordinary letter on the Duke last week requesting he answer questions – but he ‘refused’ to accept it.
Meanwhile John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand, said today: ‘He is very well respected in New Zealand - that is all I can talk of. And people will have to put up a case.
‘And I would not want to prejudge that because I don't have any intimate knowledge of that, but in New Zealand we treat people totally as innocent until proven guilty.’
Denial: Prince Andrew (pictured with Virginia Roberts in 2001) fiercely denies ‘any form of sexual contact or relationship’ with her
Today the Prince arrived at the forum in Davos, nine miles from his chalet in Klosters, and gave a keynote speech at an event for entrepreneurs in the evening.
I just wish to reiterate and to reaffirm the statements which have already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace. My focus is on my work
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
As he arrived at the event this morning security asked journalists to stop filming so he could get on with his work and meet delegates.
The Duke was hosting a reception tonight at the exclusive gathering of the rich and powerful in the Swiss ski resort. Some 200 guests were invited to tonight’s Pitch@Palace.
It was due to feature short presentations by three start-ups companies, and promote British entrepreneurship.
During his visit to the mountain village, the Duke will also attend panel debates and bilateral meetings as he has done in previous years.
Andrew stepped down as the UK’s trade envoy in July 2011 following controversy over his friendship with hedge fund tycoon Epstein.
Miss Roberts’ lawyers sent Buckingham Palace a letter (above) requesting his ‘voluntary cooperation in answering question about his sexual interactions’ with her
Last night Miss Roberts also issued a stinging attack on ‘false and hurtful’ denials of her claims made by Andrew in the tumultuous past three weeks.
Denials: Buckingham Palace has issued strong denials on the Prince’s behalf - but he is expected to address the sex allegations for the first time in a speech to business leaders tonight
She claimed his police bodyguards left her alone with him the first time he had sex with her and that she was involved in an orgy with the prince and eight other young girls.
Buckingham Palace has strenuously rejected claims the Duke had any ‘sexual contact or relationship’ with Miss Roberts.
Last week, Miss Roberts’ lawyers made an unprecedented move and sent a couriered letter by FedEx addressed to ‘His Royal Highness The Duke of York’ at Buckingham Palace requesting his ‘voluntary cooperation in answering question about his sexual interactions’ with her.
The letter offered to interview the prince under oath ‘at a time and place of your choosing’. But her lawyers stated: ‘Federal Express has informed us that the letter has been refused by the recipient.’
The latest documents filed at Palm Beach court house in Florida make plain Miss Roberts’s determination to pursue the Prince – who she said ‘I just called “Andy”.’
She alleges she was a sex slave loaned out by paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein to his friend Andrew when she was aged 17 in 2001, claiming: ‘Whatever Prince Andrew wanted, I was to make sure he got.’
The Prince, who is today due to give a much-anticipated speech to business leaders, was sitting down with his advisers when details of the papers began to drop last night.
In her latest court salvo, Miss Roberts states: ‘I have seen Buckingham Palace’s recent “emphatic” denial that Prince Andrew had sexual contact with me. That denial is false and hurtful to me. I did have sexual contact with him as I have described…under oath.
Pages from a detailed document filed in Florida by Virginia Roberts included this photo to show how young she was at the time of the allegations
Virginia Roberts included four photos of herself in the new court filing to illustrate her connection to the places in New Mexico mentioned in the court documents
‘Given what he knows and has seen, I was hoping that he would simply voluntarily tell the truth about everything. I hope my attorneys can interview Prince Andrew under oath about the contacts and that he will tell the truth.’
DOES ANDREW HAVE LEGAL IMMUNITY BECAUSE HE'S A ROYAL?
It is not known whether Prince Andrew is covered by legal immunity simply by being a royal because this has never been tested in international law.
However, the prince may be entitled to diplomatic immunity against questioning in any criminal inquiry because some of the allegations relate to when he was a Whitehall-sanctioned business envoy.
Diplomatic immunity protects foreign diplomats from legal action in the country where they work.
Extradition lawyer Karen Todner said the prince could be formally asked to give evidence ‘only in criminal proceedings’.
If he refused to co-operate, he could in theory be banned from entering America.
She said she had directed her lawyers ‘to pursue all reasonable and legitimate means to bring criminal charges against these powerful people for the crimes they have committed against me and other girls.’
She added: ‘If a judge wants me to present my information in more detail, including more specific descriptions of the sexual activities with the men Epstein sent me to, I could do so.’
She also denies having sex with former US President Bill Clinton.
The letter served on Andrew was written by lawyer Jack Scarola, dated January 14, and included the now-notorious photo of the Prince posing next to Miss Roberts.
He told the Prince: ‘This letter is a formal request…to interview you, under oath, regarding interactions that you had with Jane Doe No. 3 [the name used by Miss Roberts in legal proceedings] beginning in approximately early 2001. Jane Doe No. 3 was then 17 years old. Among other things, I would like to discuss events that occurred at the time that the photograph below was taken — and shortly thereafter.
The letter offered to interview the prince, pictured on a skiing holiday on January 4 after the initial allegations were revealed, under oath. But her lawyers said the letter had been 'refused by the recipient'
In new documents, Miss Roberts (left) also launched a stinging attack on the Duke's (right) denials of her allegations. She claims they had sex when she was 17
‘I would also like to discuss Jane Doe 3’s claims of your subsequent interactions with her in New York City, New York later that year.
I have seen Buckingham Palace’s recent “emphatic” denial that Prince Andrew had sexual contact with me. That denial is false and hurtful to me. I did have sexual contact with him as I have described… under oath
‘Details of those claims have been widely reported in the British press (with varying degrees of accuracy) as have your denials of the claims , so I assume that it is unnecessary for me to be any more specific about the proposed areas of our inquiry.
‘The interview could be conducted at a time and place of your choosing, and with your cooperation,’
The letter tops a damaging three weeks for Andrew since he was sensationally accused in U.S. court papers of abusing Miss Roberts when she 17.
She alleged that under the orders of billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, she was ‘forced’ to have sex with him three times in 2001 - in London, New York and on Epstein’s Caribbean island.
Andrew, 54, fiercely denies ‘any form of sexual contact or relationship’ with Miss Roberts and has consulted top criminal QC William Clegg.
