Prince Andrew to face ‘day of reckoning’ over court claims he ‘lobbied to get Jeffrey Epstein less jail time’

PRINCE Andrew could face "a day of reckoning" over claims he lobbied to get his paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein less jail time.

The details of the allegations could soon be laid out on the table as old court documents are made public.

The Duke of York, 64, has long been linked to Epstein, with one victim of the paedophile claiming the fresh paperwork could be damning for the prince.

The Mirror reported she said: “For years, Andrew has evaded speaking to the FBI, instead giving his own ludicrous version of events to the BBC.

“Finally we will have a day of reckoning the prince has long avoided. What more must it take for him to realise his friendship with Jeffrey will never go away? Speak up, man.”

On Thursday Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will allow the release of the documents linked to the 2006 probe into Epstien's sex trafficking operation.

This will give access to the grand jury testimony that led to the paedophile being charged.

Epstein had faced up to 15 years behind bars but instead prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to soliciting a minor for prostitution.

This came at a time when the FBI had found more than 40 victims.

The paedophile was sentenced to 18 months behind bars in 2008 and less than a year later was freed to serve the time from his Palm Beach mansion in Florida.

Mr DeSantis, who stood with two of Epstein’s victims, Haley Robson and Jena-Lisa Cordovez, signed the bill.

The former US presidential hopeful said: “There were a lot of questions about what happened where you had a sweetheart deal...

"This is long overdue, but again, we feel that we can’t just turn a blind eye.”

Mr DeSantis added: “What happened (with Epstein) was clearly wrong, and the punishment was wholly inadequate for the crime. This is in the interest of justice to disclose this.”

The bill will take effect from July 1.

Previously released legal papers accused Andrew of helping Epstein secure his plea deal - by lobbying the US government.

Two victims claimed the Duke had pressured officials into cutting his pals sentence.

The documents read: “(They are) seeking documents regarding Epstein’s lobbying efforts to persuade the government to give him a favourable plea arrangement, including efforts on his behalf by Prince Andrew.

"They have alleged these materials are needed to prove their allegations that, after Epstein signed the non-prosecution agreement, his ­performance was delayed while he used his significant social and ­political connections to lobby the justice department to obtain a more favourable plea deal.”

The Sun has approached Prince Andrew for comment.

It came as the Duke of York this week lead the royal pack at a memorial service.

With a number of major royals out, Phil Dampier claimed that Andrew had seized his chance to be front and centre.

It is the first time the disgraced Duke of York has attended a public event since the Christmas Day service at Sandringham.

Back in 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew was stripped of his military titles and his royal patronages were returned to the late Queen.

Andrew was previously accused of having sex with underage Virginia Giuffre on Epstein's "Paedo Island" as well as allegedly knowing about his pal's sex crimes.

But the royal denied all wrongdoing.

The case was settled without any of the allegations being tested in court as Andrew settled the lawsuit in February 2022.

It's been more than four years since Prince Andrew stepped down from royal duties.

But the unsealing of court papers in the US which allege that Andrew took part in an underage orgy and appeared in sex tapes — which he denies - saw controversy swirl once again.