PHOTO TWIST : Leaked messages show Prince Andrew telling Epstein it was “possible” the photo with Virginia Giuffre was real — a stunning U-turn after years of denial. Even more shocking? Other messages expose a Met Police insider allegedly recruited to smear Virginia’s name. The fallout could shake Buckingham to its core

PRINCE Andrew privately said it was “possible” he met his sex-abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre – despite publicly insisting he has no memory of her, reports say.

An email Andrew allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein seems for the first time to reveal the Prince admitting the pair could have come together and been photographed – in a far cry from his adamant denials.

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Prince Andrew was pictured with Virginia Giuffre when she was 17Credit: PA
 

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Andrew admitted to Epstein it was possible he met VirginiaCredit: AFP
 

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Andrew during a grilling from Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis, which Virginia says was a boost for her caseCredit: Mark Harrison – Camera Press
The infamous photo of Andrew with his hand around a 17-year-old Virginia’s bare waist places them together in Ghislaine Maxwell’s London house.

Two days before it was first published, Andrew emailed Epstein – apparently sharing his public response to the photo, reports The Mail on Sunday.

He wrote: “Categoric denial of Sexual Relations. Possible that I met her in a group with others and possible there is a photograph.”

Whilst Andrew hasn’t explicitly said Virginia was lying about ever meeting him, this appears to be the first example of him actively admitting it’s possible they met.

If Andrew did meet Virginia, Esptein would have known about it – hence this email appears to be the Prince piloting his response to allegations.

Andrew said MoS – which first obtained the photo – was “just gratuitously trying it on… ably abetted by Miss Roberts [Virginia Giuffre] who they will have contacted as her identity will have been known from court records, I assume.”

Virginia claims that, as a victim of Epstein’s sex-trafficking, she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times – something he strenuously denies.

Addressing the accusations in his car-crash 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, Andrew said: “I can tell you categorically I don’t remember meeting her at all. I do not remember a photograph being taken.”

He deliberately poured doubt over the picture’s authenticity.

He told Emily Maitlis: “You can’t prove whether or not that photograph is faked because it’s a photograph of a photograph of a photograph.

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“It’s very difficult to be able to prove it but I don’t remember that photograph being taken.

Andrew suggested his hand around Virginia’s bare waist could have been faked: “We can’t be certain as to whether or not that’s my hand on her whatever it is, left… left side.”

He also used the location to cast doubt over the photo, saying: “I don’t believe it’s a picture of me in London”.

Andrew claimed that when going out in the capital he would wear “a suit and tie” rather than the “travelling clothes” in the photo.

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Prince Andrew was forced to give up all his royal titles amid the growing sex abuse scandalCredit: PA
 

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Virginia finally escaped the clutches of Epstein and Maxwell in 2002Credit: Rex
The latest revelations come 24 hours after the King pressed Prince Andrew to give up using his Duke of York title and his role as a member of the Order of the Garter – the UK’s most historic honour of chivalry.

This followed a bombshell from The Sun on Sunday that he lied about the date he severed contact with paedo Epstein.

Andrew emailed Epstein: “We are in this together,” three months after the date he said he had cut contact.

The disturbing message sent on February 28, 2011, proves Andrew, 65, lied when he told BBC Newsnight he ceased contact with the financier three months earlier, in December 2010.

It is understood William, Prince of Wales, was also closely involved with giving Andrew his marching orders from the Royal Family, and is happy with the outcome.

A string of other revelations have since emerged.

Reports say Andrew recruited the Metropolitan Police for an attempted smear campaign against Virginia.

A damning email claims Andrew asked one of his taxpayer-funded bodyguards to dig up information on his sex-abuse accuser.

Andrew got hold of Virginia’s date of birth and private social security number, and passed them on to one of his personal protection officers, reports The Mail on Sunday.

The Sun revealed that, in her imminent book, Virginia claims she lost a baby just four days after she flew back from “an orgy” with Andrew and “eight other girls”.

The book also suggests Andrew “gagged” Virginia in order to avoid ruining the late Queen’s platinum jubilee.

Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her platinum jubilee in 2022, and the civil case – gathering pace – was swiftly settled just nine days later.

In another particularly disturbing episode, the book claims Andrew correctly guessed Virginia’s age during one of their meetings.

“My daughters are just a little younger than you,” he is said to have explained.

We also know that Andrew cancelled a birthday party for wife Sarah Ferguson at the last minute as the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal engulfed him.