Prince Andrew faces fresh embarrassment as Epstein ‘pimp’ Jean-Luc Brunel dies in prison ‘suicide’

Prince Andrew marked the quietest royal birthday in modern history on Saturday as he looks to lay low after settling his sex abuse case with Virginia Roberts.  

The muted celebration of his 62nd birthday came just hours after the death of Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘pimp’, who was accused of trafficking hundreds of girls to the paedophile financier.

French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, 76, who allegedly procured more than a thousand women and girls for Epstein to sleep with, was found hanged in his prison cell in an alleged suicide on Saturday morning. 

The death risks causing fresh embarrassment for the Duke of York as he attempts to draw a line under the scandal.  

It comes as there was no tolling of the bells or hoisting of flags to celebrate the Queen’s son’s birthday – both of which were scrapped by Westminster Abbey and the Government respectively. 

The Duke will mark the day privately at Royal Lodge, reports the Telegraph, following his out-of-court settlement with Ms Roberts, estimated to be in the region of £12million. 

Pictures taken today showed flowers and cards destined for Andrew being collected from the gatehouse at Royal Lodge and being placed into the back of a Range Rover.

The muted celebration of his 62nd birthday came just hours after the death of Jeffrey Epstein ‘s ‘pimp’, who was accused of trafficking hundreds of girls to the paedophile financier. (Pictured: Flowers and cards are collected from the gatehouse at Royal Lodge for Prince Andrew)

There was no tolling of the bells or hoisting of flags to celebrate the Queen’s son’s birthday – both of which were scrapped by Westminster Abbey and the Government respectively. (Pictured: Gifts for Andrew being collected at Royal Lodge today) 

Following Andrew’s scandal and in consultation with Buckingham Palace, the Queen and Prince of Wales are now the only members of the Royal Family who will have their birthdays marked by official flags and bells.  

A spokeswoman for Westminster Abbey said: ‘Due to the financial challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Westminster Abbey will ring its bells only for the birthdays of HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales.’

In 2020, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it was ‘no longer a requirement’ for them to fly the flag in Andrew’s honour. 

However February 19 remained on its ‘designated days’ list before being discreetly removed on February 11 this year.   

A government spokeswoman said: ‘Since 2021 the default position in Great Britain is that the Union Flag flies all year round unless another flag is being flown.

‘However we routinely review the list of designated days for flying the Union Flag on UK Government Buildings.

‘These changes make the days consistent with other commemorative events, such as gun salutes.’

A source told the Telegraph Andrew will be spending today ‘quietly at home’. 

His birthday fell on the same day that Brunel, Epstein’s alleged ‘pimp’, was reportedly found hanged in his cell in France.  

Brunel had been facing preliminary charges of raping girls between 15 and 18 years old.

Among those who spoke out against him was Epstein victim Virginia Roberts, who said that she had had sex with Brunel several times when she was between the ages of 16 and 19, while she said she was being trafficked by Epstein.

Ms Roberts has also said that she had been forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions starting when she was 17.

French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, 76, who allegedly procured more than a thousand women and girls for paedophile financier Epstein to sleep with, was found hanged in his prison cell today in an alleged suicide

It comes just days after the Duke of York agreed a significant out-of-court settlement with Ms Roberts, which could reportedly end up costing £12 million.

It was believed that a settlement between Andrew and Ms Roberts ahead of a jury trial in their civil case would end the prospect of embarrassing the royal family during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year celebrations.

However, the settlement has raised serious questions over whether the Queen is helping Andrew to fund the agreement. 

And now Brunel’s suicide is likely to pile further controversy onto the Duke.

It was reported in 2020 that French investigators could consider questioning Prince Andrew about his links with Brunel, who had shared Epstein as a mutual acquaintance.

Rémy Heitz, the Paris prosecutor, said that Mr Brunel was ‘suspected of having organised the transport and lodging of girls or young women on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein’, and were seeking to establish the nature of his alleged activities on behalf of Epstein who killed himself in a New York prison the year before.

Brunel had been facing preliminary charges of raping girls between 15 and 18 years old. Among those who spoke out against him was Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, who said that she had had sex with Brunel several times when she was between the ages of 16 and 19, while she said she was being trafficked by Epstein. Giuffre had become a key witness in the prosecution of Brunel

Brunel had denied all allegations against him.

The French inquiry had also conducted a video interview Ms Roberts, a victim of Epstein, according to The Times.

She said in court papers that Brunel had offered modelling jobs to girls as young as 12 and took them to the United States to ‘farm them out to his friends, especially Epstein’.

Ms Roberts alleged that she had had sex with Brunel several times, and that she had been forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions, which Andrew denied.

Brunel was then arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris with a one-way ticket to Dakar, capital of Senegal, in West Africa.

Giuffre alleged that she had had sex with Brunel several times, and that she had been forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions, which Andrew denied. Pictured: Prince Andrew, Virginia and Ghislaine Maxwell at Maxwell’s London flat 

Following the arrest, Ms Roberts taunted Prince Andrew on social media. ‘Are you sweating yet, Prince Andrew?’ she wrote. 

‘You should be. Your buddy Jean-Luc Brunel is behind bars. Remember those girls he supplied to you on the island?’

According to French law, a French citizen such as Brunel can be tried in France for offences committed abroad. 

The French investigation however suffered obstacles because of a statute of limitations that covers rape prosecutions that are 20 years old or 30 years old in the case of minors.

Both Prince Andrew and Brunel vehemently denied the claims, with a source close to Andrew telling the Royal Observer: ‘He has never met Brunel. No ifs, no buts.’

Despite vowing to fight Ms Roberts’ allegations directed against him in the civil case filed in New York – and repeatedly protesting his innocence – Andrew last week agreed to pay a large sum to settle the case before it reaches a jury. 

The Telegraph reported the total amount that the victim and her charity will receive will actually exceed £12m, with the funds coming from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate, which recently increased by £1.5m to more than £23m. 

It was believed that a settlement between Andrew and Ms Giuffre ahead of a jury trial in their civil case would end the prospect of embarrassing the royal family during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year celebrations. However, the settlement has raised serious questions over whether the Queen is helping Andrew to fund the agreement 

Although the agreement contained no formal admission of liability from Andrew, or an apology, it said he now accepted Ms Roberts was a ‘victim of abuse’ and that he regretted his association with Epstein, the disgraced financier who trafficked countless young girls.

A statement announcing the settlement read: ‘Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement.

‘The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed). Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights.

‘Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years.

‘Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.’