Everything You Need to Know About Prince Andrew's Sex Scandal

Everything centers around Andrew's friend Epstein, a billionaire investment banker who has been accused of soliciting underage girls for sex. The claims first popped up in 2005, when a woman reported that her 14-year-old daughter had been taken to Epstein's Palm Beach mansion and was paid $300 to strip down to her underwear and massage him. This resulted in an undercover investigation, which unearthed evidence that Epstein would hire young women to give him erotic massages. In June 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to a single state charge of soliciting prostitution and served 13 months in jail. This is in addition to several civil suits that have been filed against Epstein over the years, some of which have been thrown out or settled out of court.

Epstein and Andrew's friendship is well-documented. The pair reportedly became friends in 2000 after Andrew attended a function in Florida with Epstein. The banker had many famous friends — including Bill Clinton and Kevin Spacey — and Andrew stood by Epstein during his legal troubles. In 2011, shortly after Epstein's release from prison, Andrew was spotted strolling through Central Park in NYC with the disgraced businessman and registered sex offender. This proved to be a step too far on Andrew's part, and he was forced to resign from his role as UK special representative for international trade and investment. In July 2011, it was reported that Andrew had cut off all ties to Epstein.

The accusations popped up once again thanks to Epstein's long-running legal battles. Jane Doe 3 and another woman filed a motion on Dec. 30, 2014, asking to be added to a lawsuit that charges that federal prosecutors in Florida violated a victims' rights law when they agreed to enter into a plea deal with Epstein in 2008. Jane Doe 3 claimed she was one of Epstein's victims and was kept as his underage "sex slave" from 1999 to 2002. However, unlike previous court filings, this one included a claim from Jane Doe 3 that she was forced to have sex with Andrew and Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz at Epstein's behest. (Dershowitz, a celebrated attorney, called the accusations "completely false" and claimed that he is filing disbarment charges against Jane Doe 3's lawyers.)

Andrew cut short his annual family trip to the Swiss Alps (where he was hanging out with his daughters and Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas) to return to England, where he is reportedly laying low in his Windsor home, Royal Lodge. Buckingham Palace has already issued several denials to the accusations, saying that the prince never had "any form of sexual contact or relationship" with Jane Doe 3. Despite the scandal and mounting public attention, People reports that Andrew will continue with his usual royal work. Meanwhile, Andrew's official Twitter account (he's the only royal who has one) has remained silent about the scandal, instead focusing on Andrew's charity organizations.

The royal family is reportedly remaining "supportive" during the crisis, with his immediate family — Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson — standing "wholeheartedly behind him." When confronted by reporters in Switzerland, Sarah said that the "York family is a tight unit" and that Andrew is "the greatest man there is . . . he is a great man, the best man in the world."

The Palace hasn't directly confirmed if Andrew has spoken to Queen Elizabeth II about the latest accusations, although he did reportedly have a sit-down with his mother back in 2011 before he cut off all ties with Epstein.

If the accusations are true, it will likely irrevocably damage Andrew's already tarnished reputation. However, it is unclear if he would face any legal repercussions, as the woman claims that it was Epstein — not Andrew — who forced her to have sex. Still, Andrew's relationship with Epstein has been established for years and he's always managed to bounce back from the various scandals. While Andrew is far from a public favorite, his antics tend to go relatively unnoticed by the international press since his celebrity is eclipsed by younger royals like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Still, the newest accusations are difficult to ignore, and it will be incredibly difficult for Andrew to emerge from the scandal without seeing his reputation take a considerable hit. Worse still, the scandal, with its mix of sex, money, and illegal activities, will likely lower the public's opinion of the royal family as a whole.