Denise Welch says Prince Andrew ‘disloyal’ to Royal Family

Denise Welch has branded Prince Andrew ‘distasteful and disloyal to the royal family’ and said she believes that Virginia Roberts is telling the truth about being forced to have sex with him. 

The Loose Women panelist, 61, from Tynemouth, confessed on today’s show that despite having ‘personal meetings’ with the Duke of York over the years, she thinks he is ‘morally bankrupt’ amid the accusations he faces from Roberts. 

Ms Roberts, now known by her married name Virginia Giuffre, claims she was ordered to have sex with the prince while working for the paedophile billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein as a 17-year-old in 2001.

She said that although the royal – who denies ever meeting Roberts – wouldn’t have hadn’t technically committed a crime, she feels a man in his 40s or 50s having sex with a 17-year-old girl is ‘sleazy’. 

She says despite having ‘personal meetings’ with the Duke of York over the years, she thinks the royal is is ‘morally bankrupt’ amid the accusations he faces from Roberts

She said: ‘Any viewers of this show will know my feelings about Prince Andrew. 

‘I have had personal meetings with him over the years and always found him very very distasteful and disloyal to the royal family.’ 

In 2010 Epstein, was released from jail after serving 18 months for prostituting minors and Andrew was later photographed with the disgraced financier, walking in New York’s Central Park.

Footage emerged years later, reportedly shot on December 6 2010, showing him inside Epstein’s Manhattan mansion, from where he was seen looking out from a large door of the property waving a woman goodbye after Epstein leaves to get into a chauffeur-driven car.

Ms Roberts claims she was ordered to have sex with the prince while working for paedophile billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein as a 17-year-old in 2001

Speaking of the meeting, Denise said: ‘I don’t feel like it was a mistake he went to stay stayed with Jeffery Epstein in America, after he was accused and charged.

‘It was a choice, it wasn’t convenient to stay, convenient is staying at the Plaza not staying with Jeffrey Epstein.’  

Despite her negative feelings for the royal, she went on: ‘When you hear Virginia Roberts talking, it’s almost sounding like there is a criminal charge to be answered. 

‘My question has been that he actually isn’t breaking the law by having sex with her, that isn’t actually breaking the law. 

This came amid a discussion on whether Prince Andrew should work with the FBI on the Epstein case 

She went on to insist that she didnt like Andrew ‘at all’ and thought he ‘probably did’ have sex with Roberts

‘In other countries it would be breaking the law but in this country – it’s morally questionable and it’s sleazy to have a man of 40/50 having sex with a 17-year-old  -but it’s not illegal.’

She went on to insist that she didn’t like Andrew ‘at all’ and thought he ‘probably did’ have sex with Roberts. 

She said: ‘The thing is Prince Andrew , who in my opinion probably did do that, he would never in a million years now say, “Hands up, I did”. 

‘She also says that when she did have sex with him,  she went in voluntarily.  I’m just playing devil’s advocate – because this is a man who I think is morally bankrupt on many many levels and I don’t like at all.’ 

This isn’t the first time Denise has opened up about the royal. Last month she claimed that the royal made ‘disrespectful comments’ about Princess Diana at a dinner party shortly after her death.

Last month Denise claimed that the royal made ‘disrespectful comments’ about Princess Diana

The star said she was ‘very upset’ so confronted Andrew, prompting him to storm out.

Welch made the revelation in a segment discussing the royal’s relationship Epstein, which she called a ‘huge mistake’.

 The broadcaster said she attended the dinner with her ex-husband Tim Healy and several others, including an unnamed actress and a cricketer.

Recalling how she and the cricketer had agreed it would be insensitive to talk about Diana, the panellist recalled Prince Andrew starting to do so.

She said on the show: ‘Prince Andrew was very keen to talk about her and he began to say things that really upset me and to me were very disrespectful to someone he shouldn’t have been sharing this information with.’

Welch said this made her ‘very, very cross’ and she told Andrew how she felt.

She continued: ‘Back in the day I enjoyed a vodka or two… by the time he got up to leave he put his hand on my husband’s shoulder and said “rather you than me sir”.’