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Kalarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I
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am your host, Mark Francis Marius Borg Hoiby, the adult
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son of Norway's Crown Princess Meta Marie and stepson of
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Crown Prince Harken, is due to appear in Oslo District
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Court today to face a wide ranging criminal trial involving
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dozens of serious charges. Although he holds no royal title
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and is not a member of the Norwegian Royal House,
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the cases placed the royal family under intense scrutiny because
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of his close personal connection to the heir to the
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throne and the gravity of the allegations. Hoibi twenty nine
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is facing a total of thirty eight charges, including four
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counts of rape. The case began quietly in the early
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hours of August fourth, twenty twenty four, when police were
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called to an apartment in Oslo's affluent Frogner district following
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reports of a domestic argument. Inside offices found science violence
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that would soon be splashed across Norwegian tabloids, including a
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shattered chandelier and a knife lodged in a wall. The
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man at the center of the incident was Hoiby, the
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twenty nine year old son of Crown Princess Madame Marie.
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What started as a single arrest quickly widened into a
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sweeping investigation as additional alleged victims came forward. Prosecutors assembled
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a charge sheet listing thirty eight offenses, including four counts
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of rape, along with allegations of assault, domestic abuse, and
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drug related crimes. Weibi has denied the most serious accusations
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and says he will give his own account when the
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trial begins in Oslo. If convicted on the most severe charges,
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he faces a potential prison sentence of up to sixteen years.
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Through his lawyer Peta Seculik, Hoeby has insisted he does
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not accept wrongdoing in the most serious cases. Seculic said
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Hoeby is absolutely taking the accusations very seriously, but doesn't
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acknowledge any wrongdoing in most of the cases, especially in
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the cases regarding sexual abuse and violence. Several women are
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expected to testify, though only one his former girlfriend, Norah Hauklund,
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has been publicly named by prosecutors after she accused Hoeby
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of kicking, punching and strangling her. Norwegian courts rejected her
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request for anonymity. Historians and royal experts have described the
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case as unprecedented. Trond Nora and Esigson said, when it
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comes to the Norwegian royal family, it is, without a
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doubt the biggest scandal. There have been controversies surrounding the
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choice of spouses, about renovations of the palace and these
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kinds of things, but never any real scandals involving criminal offenses,
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let alone so many. Oybe occupies an unusual position within
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the royal orbit. Born before his mother married Crown Prince Harken,
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he holds no royal title and has no place in
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the line of succession. Unlike his half siblings, Princess Ingrid
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Alexandra and Prince Severe Magnus. He has no public role,
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though he ppeered at royal family events in the past,
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most recently during celebrations for Princess Ingrid Alexandra's eighteenth birthday
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in twenty twenty two. Raised amid privilege, he was once
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affectionately known as Little Marius, serving as a page boy
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at his mother's wedding in two thousand one. As he
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grew older, however, he cultivated a rebellious public image, frequenting
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Oslo's nightlife, appearing occasionally on television, later admitting to regular
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drug use. Prosecutors have said the charges include one count
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of rape involving sexual intercourse and three counts of rape
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without intercourse, along with allegations of domestic abuse, assault, death threats,
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drug offenses, and traffic violations. In January, six additional charges
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were added, including a serious narcotics offense involving approximately three
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and a half kilos of marijuana, to restraining order violations
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and multiple traffic offenses. Prosecutor Stirler henriks Post said the
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additional indictment will now be sent to the Oslo District
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Court for consideration during the main hearing. In statements released
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through his lawyers, Hoibe has acknowledged responsibility for some lesser
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nonviolent offenses, including transporting cannabis, while maintaining his innocence on
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rape and abuse allegations. He has said, the drug use
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and my diagnoses do not excuse what happened. I want
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to be responsible for what I have done and will
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explain myself truthfully to the police. The trial, expected to
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last seven weeks, comes amid a series of strains on
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the royal family. Crown Princess Meta Meria is currently awaiting
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a lung transplant. The illness, pulmonary fibrosis, was first disclosed
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publicly in twenty eighteen and is degenerative. Ahead of the trial,
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it was confirmed that Crown Princess Metamereat is planning a
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private stay over the coming weeks during a period when
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her chronic lung condition has worsened. Adding to the pressure,
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newly released Jeffrey Epstein files revealed that Meta Maria had
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contact with Epstein and once stayed at his home in
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twenty thirteen, prompting her to express deep sympathy and solidarity
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with his victims and to say she regretted meeting him.
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In a rare public intervention ahead of the trial, Crown
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Prince Harken sought to draw a clear boundary between the
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institution and his step son. He said, our thoughts are
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with everyone who is affected by this case. It has
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an impact on the individuals, their families and all those
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who care about them. We understand that this is a
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difficult time for many of you and we sympathize. Marius
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borg Hoebi is not a member of the Royal House
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of Norway and is therefore autonomous. We care about him
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and he is an important member of our family. He
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is a citizen of Norway and as such has the
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same responsibilities as everyone else, as well as the same rights.
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At the same time, it is reassuring to know that
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we live in a state governed by the rule of law.
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I am confident that those responsible for overseeing the proceedings
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will ensure that the trial is conducted in as orderly,
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proper and just a manner as possible. Crown Prince Hearken
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confirmed that neither he nor Crown Princess Medamory will attend
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court proceedings. In a separate interview published last year, the
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Crown Princess Metamory addressed the personal toll of the situation,
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saying being a parent is the most vulnerable thing you
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can do, and I think all parents will recognize that
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there is an incredible amount of self blame involved. She
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said the family had sought professional help for her son,
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and added the thing that perhaps upsets me the most
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is being criticized for how we've handled it as parents,
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that we didn't take it seriously. I find that hard.
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Despite the turmoil, public support for the monarchy remains high,
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with approval ratings reported at more than seventy percent. Still
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as the trial begins, the case is unsettled both the
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family and the country. Norwegian police say Hoyby was taken
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into custody on Sunday evening following a new incident. According
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to authorities, the arrest relates to allegations of assault, making
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threats involving a knife, and breaching an existing restraining order.
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Police have now asked the court to remand Hoibe in
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custody for four weeks, arguing that detention is necessary to
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prevent the risk of further offenses while the case proceeds.
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In a statement, Andreas Kreszhsky of the Oslo Police District said,
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the Oslo Police District can confirm that Marius Boig Hoebi
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was arrested by the police on Sunday evening, charge with
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AsSalt threats with the knife and violation of a restraining order.
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More palace in just a moment. The latest release of
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the emails link to Jeffrey Epstein has delivered another deeply
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awkward chapter for Andrew's family, placing Sarah Ferguson and her
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daughters back under an unforgiving spotlight and reinforcing how closely
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Epstein was woven into their world for Sarah Ferguson. The
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correspondence is particularly bruising. The emails repeatedly show her expressing
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warmth and loyalty toward Epstein, at times in strikingly personal language.
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In one exchange from two thousand and nine, she thanks
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him for his support and writes, thank you, Jeffrey for
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being the brother I have always wished for. A year later,
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her tone becomes even more effusive. You are a legend.
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I really don't have the words to describe my love
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gratitude for your generosity and kindness, she writes, adding xx
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I am at your service. Just marry me. The same
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trench of emails also sheds light on her finances and
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her reliance on Epstein during periods of difficulty. After the
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collapse of a business venture in two thousand and nine,
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Ferguson appeared to write to him with urgency, saying I
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urgently need twenty thousand pounds for rent today. The landlord
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has threatened to go to the newspapers if I don't
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pay any brain waves. The exchange follows discussion of press
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coverage questioning her finances, and while the chain ends without
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confirming whether the money was provided. Other documents include lawyer's
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letters about settling debts, and an email from Epstein claiming
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he had helped her financially four fifteen years. The emails
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also suggest Epstein wanted Ferguson to play a role in
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rehabilitating his reputation. In a message believed to be from
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Epstein to his publicist in Others in March twenty eleven,
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he writes, I think Fergie can see now I am
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not a pedo. The email suggests that she could say
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she had been duped into believing false stories. Reply his
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publicist outlines a media strategy including get newspapers to stop
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calling you a pedophile and get the truth out, with
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one tactic being to get Fergie to retract. The following month,
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a Sarah writes back to Epstein saying she did not
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and would not call him a p explaining that she
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had acted to protect my own brand. Princesses Beatrice and
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Eugenie are also repeatedly referenced in the emails, sometimes casually,
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sometimes uncomfortably. One exchange from March twenty ten includes a
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redacted sender replying to Epstein with the line not sure yet,
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just waiting for Eugenie to come back from a shagging weekend.
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Because the author is redacted, it is not possible to
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confirm who wrote it. In another email later that y,
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Epstein asks Ferguson whether her daughters might be able to
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say hello while he is in London. She replies that
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Beatrice is with Andrew while eugi is away with a
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cool boyfriend. Other emails in the that Epstein spent time
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socially with Ferguson and her daughters. In July two thousand
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and nine, she appears to arrange a lunch with him
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in Miami, writing that it will be myself, Beatrice and Eugenie.
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She adds that there staying at a friend's house, and
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mentions travel arrangements that include a police escort elsewhere. Epstein
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claims that Fergie said she could organize tea in the
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Buckingham Palace apartments or Windsor Castle, suggesting she was facilitating
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access to royal residences despite Ferguson's warmth toward him. The
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emails also show Epstein being dismissive about her behind the scenes.
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In a September twenty eleven message sharing a photograph of
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Princess Beatrice's graduation, he comments pick of f from Friday
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not the prettiest site. No reply from Ferguson appears in
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the released file, but set against her earlier praise, the
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remark adds another layer of humiliation. The emails are dated
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well after Epstein's two thousand and eight conviction, a fact
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that has intensified public reaction. While the documents explicitly state
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that inclusion does not implydoing, the accumulative picture is one
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of closeness and dependency that many find difficult to reconcile
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with his criminal record. Representatives for Ferguson have been approached
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for comment, and Andrew's office has also been contacted. Andrew
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has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Alongside these revelations, further allegations
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about Prince Andrew have emerged. A second woman has now
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alleged that she was sent to the United Kingdom by
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Epstein in twenty ten for an encounter with Andrew at
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Royal Lodge in Windsor. According to her lawyer, she was
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in her twenties at the time and was also given
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a tour of Buckingham Palace. Speaking to the BBC, the
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lawyer said, we're talking about at least one woman who
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was sent by Jeffrey Epstein over to Prince Andrew and
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she even had, after a night with Prince Andrew, a
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tour of Buckingham Palace. And there you have it. If
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you'd like to get just the Norwegian Royal news in
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a separate feed, we've now dropped that on our Crown
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and Controversy Norway show, which came to you earlier last year.
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So just search for Crown and Controversy Norway and you'll
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get this trial in a more focused state, and will
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update that as much as we can. I'm Mark Francis
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my thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue and
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good terms