LONDON (Reuters) -A posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain's Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her as a teenager, went on sale in London on Tuesday, days after the disgraced prince gave up his Duke of York title.
Much of the contents of the book were reported before its release, triggering renewed scrutiny on Andrew - King Charles' brother - whose conduct and connections with the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have long been criticised.
Andrew, 65, has always denied Giuffre's account.
'REALLY HARROWING'
In "Nobody's Girl", Giuffre wrote that she feared she might "die a sex slave" under Epstein's control and describes three alleged sexual encounters with Andrew in London, New York and on the late financier's private island.
The memoir also alleges Andrew correctly guessed Giuffre's age - 17 - when they first met.
"It's a really harrowing account," royal commentator Afua Hagan told Reuters. "Some of the details in there are grim."
In 2022, Andrew made an undisclosed payment to settle a lawsuit brought in the U.S. by Giuffre, who died by suicide in April.
"As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me," Andrew said in his statement on Friday announcing he would stop using all his remaining titles and honours so as not to distract from the work of the king and other royals.
However, the criticism and questions about Andrew and what the royals knew of events have intensified.
London's police force is looking into media reports that in 2011 Andrew had asked one of his police officers to dig up dirt on Giuffre.
Sky News reported on Wednesday that at the time a current senior aide to the king had been in charge of police royal protection. A royal source said the issue was a matter for the police, who did not respond to an immediate request for comment.
'PUBLIC ARE SICK OF HIM'
Senior lawmakers have said Andrew should speak to U.S. authorities about Epstein, while the Scottish National Party is seeking a parliamentary debate demanding the government introduce a law to formally strip him of titles.
The Times newspaper said that for two decades Andrew had not paid any rent for the house in the grounds surrounding Windsor Castle to the Crown Estate, which manages properties belonging to the monarchy on behalf of taxpayers.
"I think that it's about time Prince Andrew took himself off to live in private and make his own way in life," Robert Jenrick, the main opposition Conservative party's justice spokesperson, told BBC radio.
"I don't see why the taxpayer frankly should continue to foot the bill for him at all. The public are sick of him."
(Reporting by William James, Michael Holden and Natasha Montague; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
