The well-known photograph displaying the Duke of York holding his accuser Virginia Giuffre by the waist has been found to be genuine, according to new evidence. The image allegedly depicts Andrew holding Ms Giuffre by the arm in the Mayfair residence of disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who was found guilty of sex trafficking. Both Maxwell and Andrew have discredited the integrity of the image.
But now the Mail on Sunday says it can demonstrate that the image was a printed photograph created in a one-hour photo lab.
According to the report, the original photo has a date stamp on the reverse that shows it was created on March 13, 2001, or three days after Ms Giuffre, once known as Virginia Roberts, is believed to have met Andrew. The image was created at Walgreens, a major US pharmacy chain, the report adds.
It follows Maxwell’s declaration that she is “sure” the image is fake while speaking from a US prison.
In an interview with TalkTV, she said: “It’s a fake. I don’t believe it’s real for a second, in fact, I’m sure it’s not.”
She added: “Well, there’s never been an original and further there’s no photograph, and I’ve only ever seen a photocopy of it.”
Andrew has also questioned the veracity of the photo of him and Ms Giuffre.
The Duke later agreed to pay millions to settle with Ms Giuffre, a lady he insisted he had never met, in a civil sexual assault action.
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