Royal aides initially 'pleased' with Prince Andrew interview

The journalist who interviewed Prince Andrew about his friendship with deceased convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein says the palace aides were initially "pleased" with it, until the backlash began.

Emily Maitlis from BBC Newsnight said her team had "plenty of engagement" with palace aides after the interview was broadcast.

"I think their shock was not at the interview itself, but the reaction it caused in the days and weeks afterwards," she said.

Maitlis was speaking to Radio Times ahead of the Bafta Television Awards where the interview has been nominated in the news category.

"We know that the palace was happy with the interview. We had plenty of engagement with them after it went out," she continued, before interview producer Esme Wren added: "There hasn't been any mudslinging from the palace. Of course, they feel that the interview didn't go brilliantly, but that wasn't through our wrongdoing.

"We delivered a quite exceptional piece of journalism."

RELATED: Prince Andrew reflects on 'trainwreck' BBC interview

Upon reflection Maitlis said she will "never forget" the "astonishing" level of detail Prince Andrew went into on camera.

"First, he was tackling the subject matter head on," she said. "Secondly, the lack of apology or any real expression of regret told me that the prince still believed that his actions had broadly been the right ones. And thirdly, the level of detail was unlike anything I was expecting.

"It was just astonishing to be in that room listening. I don't think I'll ever forget it."

She described negotiations with palace aides ahead of the interview, with Prince Andrew's, saying: "We could have done something shorter, easier and less comprehensive much earlier. But we sat it out until we were given the assurance that it would be the kind of interview we needed to do.

"I'm glad we waited and were properly prepared for it."

The backlash against Prince Andrew following the interview was swift, forcing the royal to step down from royal duties. Despite claims by his lawyer that he has cooperated with the FBI who continue to investigate Epstein and his associates, the FBI alleges Andrew, 60 has been anything but.

Now Prince Andrew's friend and former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, has been arrested over her involvement in child sex trafficking offences, leading to speculation the royal is concerned about exactly what Maxwell will reveal.