Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell has insisted Prince Andrew must give an interview to the FBI about his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince Andrew told BBC’s Newsnight he would be open to speaking to US authorities about his links to Epstein in his car crash interview last week.
But Mr Burrell, 61, piled the pressure on him to share any information he has that could lead to justice for his victims.
He told Good Morning Britain the Duke of York, 59, is ‘not above the law’, adding: ‘The best thing he can do is give an interview to the FBI.
‘If he has any knowledge which could help convict this paedophile ring, he should do so. Because he cannot avoid due process.
rincess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell has insisted Prince Andrew (pictured on Newsnight) must give an interview to the FBI about his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein
‘He is a member of the royal family, but he is not above the law – he is like everyone else in that respect.’
It comes after claims Epstein’s ‘madam’ and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell will break her silence and come out of hiding to speak to investigators following his death.
On the programme this morning, host Piers Morgan asked whether Andrew should lose his royal title after he stepped down from public duties in light of the Epstein scandal.
He compared Andrew’s situation to when Princess Diana gave a bombshell interview on BBC Panorama, revealing she had been unfaithful to Prince Charles and that he was ‘not fit to be king’.
Mr Burrell, 61, piled on the pressure on Andrew to share any information he has that could lead to justice for his victims
The former royal butler appeared in a TV debate with republican Tom Slater (centre) and journalist Eve Pollard (right)
But Mr Burrell argued Diana was not a royal by blood and that Andrew’s title was irrevocable because he was given it at birth.
He said: ‘He’s not a normal person, he’s a member of the royal family, he cannot lose his prince title, he was born with that.
‘He can’t lose his duke title, the queen bestowed that on him.’
Probed on why Andrew was allowed to do the interview with seemingly little planning, Mr Burrell argued that he is separate from the other royals and was unaware of what would be required of him by Newsnight.
He said: ‘You know how it works, the queen is the mothership and the other members of the royal family are likely satellites – they rarely visit the mothership.
‘They don’t communicate. He’s quite solitary, he doesn’t mix with his siblings very much.’
Mr Burrell even said Andrew was ‘vulnerable’ and that he felt sorry for him.
Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein are pictured in Central Park in New York in 2010
Former newspaper editor and journalist Eve Pollard, who also appeared on the GMB debate, agreed.
She told the programme: ‘You have got a royal prince who went into that interview unaware that he needed to be prepped.
‘I feel very sorry for him. He’s lived a life miles away from any real discussion.’
But republican and free speech campaigner Tom Slater said the idea of feeling sorry for Prince Andrew created images of ‘the world’s tiniest violin’ in his mind.
He said he should be able to try to clear his name as a private citizen, but he should not have any royal title after his links to Epstein.
Host Piers said he felt sorry for Prince Andrew’s daughters Princess Beatrice and Eugenie.
Beatrice, 31, is soon to get married to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and is reported to have been ‘in tears’ every day since her father’s nightmare TV interview.
Piers said: ‘I feel sorry for his daughters, they are charming lovely girls, beautifully brought up, and one of them is getting married soon.
‘What’s that going to be like? She was hoping for a televised ceremony like her sister, with Andrew walking her down the aisle.’
But Mr Burrell cut across: ‘That’s not going to happen. No, it’s going to be a private wedding.
Former newspaper editor and journalist Eve Pollard, who also appeared on the GMB debate, said she also felt sorry for Prince Andrew
But republican and free speech campaigner Tom Slater said the idea of feeling sorry for Prince Andrew created images of ‘the world’s tiniest violin’ in his mind