The Duke of York begged Jeffrey Epstein's alleged “madam” to clear his name by publicly defending him but she refused, it has been claimed.

Ghislaine Maxwell is the only other person said to have been present on the night Virginia Roberts Giuffre has alleged she was forced to sleep with him when she was 17.

“Andrew pleaded with Ghislaine to publicly defend him,” a source told the New York Post.

“She carefully considered it, but decided no good would come of it. It isn’t in her best interests.”

As a result, the Duke went ahead with his own disastrous television interview that resulted in his effective sacking from public duties.

The interview, on BBC2’s Newsnight, backfired when he failed to show any empathy for Epstein’s victims or regret over his friendship with the disgraced financier.