FORMER home secretary Priti Patel has apologised to King Charles after her email to his top aide reportedly backing the restoration of security detail to Prince Andrew was leaked.
In her correspondence with the monarch’s principal private secretary Sir Clive Alderton, Patel is believed to have said the taxpayer-funded protection for the Duke of York was “something to be considered”.
In November, the royal was stripped of his security detail - estimated to cost 3 million a year - as he gave up his HRH title after he settled a sexual abuse case brought by campaigner Virginia Giuffre in the US.
Patel told the Sun after her email was leaked: “It is disappointing that this correspondence has been leaked into the public domain and I apologise to His Majesty for the embarrassment and difficulties the publishing of this correspondence has caused.”
Andrew’s reputation was ruined after Giuffre, 38, claimed she had sex with the royal when she was 17 following their meeting through the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein killed himself in a New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting his own trial for sex crimes.
Andrew is believed to have spent an estimated 12m for the out-of-court settlement of Giuffre’s claim to stave off a trial.
In January last year, Andrew was stripped of his honorary military titles and charitable roles.
In June, a New York court sentenced Andrew’s long-time friend Ghislaine Maxwell to 20 years in jail for sex trafficking on behalf of Epstein.
Priti Patel apologises to King after leaked email on Prince Andrew’s security
The former home secretary reportedly backed the restoration of the taxpayer-funded protection the Duke of York
Davindra and Seema Misra, and Vijay and Gita Parekh
Varchas Patel with his father Vipin and mother Jayshriben
Hasmukh Shingadia and his wife Chandrika were all victims of the Horizon scandal
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)