After Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s former personal assistant said that she would be open to speaking with police about the former Prince Andrew, royal experts believe her words could carry some serious weight.
Charlotte Manley — who was the former Duke of York’s private secretary and treasurer from 2001 to 2003, and worked with him for years prior to that — told British newspaper The Times, “I would rather talk to the police than the press, not that I would have much to tell them.”
The paper also reported that she accompanied the father of two on trips during his time as a trade envoy.
British broadcaster and royal expert Helena Chard pointed out to Fox News Digital that, while Manley may not have a lot of information, she could possibly “shed valuable light into Andrew’s dealings and activities” from his time as trade envoy.
Calling Manley, 68, a “key witness,” Chard told Fox for their Thursday, March 12, report that she’s sure the former assistant “will offer a few gems which will lead to further investigation and more people coming forward.”
According to The Times, Manley also signed a £75 ($100) check from the Buckingham Palace bank account on the disgraced royal’s behalf in 2000 for a massage arranged by Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
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“Manley may well have seen telling moments behind the scenes and will wish to tell her side of that infamous £75 cheque she signed from Buckingham Palace funds to pay a masseuse,” Chard said.
Andrew, who was stripped of his royal titles and honors late last year by his brother King Charles III, was arrested on February 19, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Though he has consistently denied wrongdoing and maintained his innocence regarding his ties to Epstein, he was accused of sharing confidential information with the financier related to his role as a trade envoy. The Thames Valley Police launched an inquiry into Andrew after it was reported that emails suggest the father of two sent Epstein reports from a tour of Southeast Asia he took in 2010.
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox that Manley may feel “compelled by a sense of duty and upstanding principles, now particularly with the knowledge of [Charles’] statement regarding the ‘law must take its course,’ his being on sides with full cooperation.
“Such cooperation, of course would help her protect herself too,” Fordwich pointed out.
This story Ex-Prince Andrew’s Former Assistant Can Be a ‘Key Witness’ to Police After His Arrest, Says Expert first appeared on National Examiner. Add National Examiner as a Preferred Source by clicking here.