Sarah Ferguson, former wife of Prince Andrew, has spoken out following scandal

She said the Epstein furore has been hard on her and the couple's two daughters

She called Andrew 'the best man I know' and said accusations were 'nonsense'

Virginia Roberts Guiffre alleges she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and had sex with Prince Andrew three times including when she was 17. He denies the claims.

Sarah Ferguson has said the scandal engulfing her ex-husband Prince Andrew has been 'hard' for her and their two daughters to deal with.

Ms Ferguson insisted the Duke of York is 'the best man I know', and blasted the 'nonsense' claims that surround him resulting from his friendship with paedophile billionaire Jeffery Epstein.

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And the former Duchess of York lent support to the current Duchess of Sussex, saying she knows how hard it is to be in the media spotlight, telling Vogue: 'I have been in Meghan’s shoes, and I still am.'

Andrew's accuser, Virginia Giuffre, nee Roberts, alleges she slept with the Duke of York at Ghislaine Maxwell's home London, in New York and the US Virgin Islands as a 17-year-old in 2001.

While her claims were first made public in 2015 with the opening of US court documents, and the scandal worsened for the Prince following his decision to clear the air with a BBC Newsnight interview.

The Duke's claims during the programme, including his inability to sweat and a trip to Pizza Express on the night his accuser says he slept with her, drew fierce criticism and ridicule - the fallout forcing him to step down from Royal life.

Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie dressed to go to a ball in 2006

Andrew has always denied the allegations and says he has no recollection of meeting Ms Giuffre.

Meghan Markle speaking at the Endeavour Fund awards ceremony

Now his former wife and long time companion Fergie has told Vogue: 'The last six months have been hard on the girls and me.

'To see such a wonderful man go through such enormous pain. He is the best man I know.

'It's just incredible what he has done for Britain, and it's all nonsense, so I talk about familyhood, and I'm very strong about it.'

Asked about media coverage of the duchess of Sussex, she added: 'It must be hard for Meghan, and I can relate to her. I believe she is modern and fabulous. She was famous before.'

She went on: 'I tend not to give advice because it is taken out of context, but I have been in Meghan’s shoes, and I still am. There’s always a twist of negativity and it just gets so sad and tiring; it’s hard and mean.

'I abhor bullying and I feel desperately sorry for the pain they must be going through because I’ve been through it.'

Virginia Roberts Guiffre

Jeffrey Epstein

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The scandal has already led to Andrew, 59, being forced to step back from his royal duties.

His accuser, now 35, told Panorama they were introduced in 2001, when she was 17, after allegedly being 'trafficked' to Britain on Epstein's private jet.

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She said she was taken to a VIP area in Tramp nightclub in Mayfair, central London, where Andrew bought her vodka and asked her to dance.

Miss Roberts, who claims Miss Maxwell recruited her to work as Epstein's masseuse when she was 15, said the socialite gave her instructions as they left.

She said: 'In the car, Ghislaine tells me that I have to do for Andrew what I do for Jeffrey and that just made me sick.'

The married mother of three alleges she and Andrew had sex that night at Miss Maxwell's home in Belgravia.

Andrew's attempts to defend himself against Ms Giuffre's accusations and explain his friendship with Epstein, a convicted sex offender, in a BBC Newsnight interview failed dramatically

Andrew was pictured with Roberts in 2001, with Epstein's alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell

Sarah Ferguson's intervention comes after rumours her daughter Beatrice's wedding is being delayed to avoid the scandal overshadowing the event.

Beatrice, 31, has been engaged to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi since earlier this year but has not yet set a date for the big day, with a source recently telling ET that 'the family is very disappointed' adding that Prince Andrew has 'embarrassed' them.

'Everyone right now is concerned about Bea. Poor Bea. She deserves to have the wedding she wants and the public is going to go nuts,' the source said.

Today Jeffrey Epstein's sex slave Virginia Roberts claims she has been informed by the FBI that a 'credible' death threat has been made against her.

The 36-year-old, who alleges she was trafficked to the UK to have sex with Prince Andrew, said: 'In response to the overwhelming amount of support I have received, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who is standing up beside me fighting for our children to have a safer future.

'I have been informed from the FBI there has been a credible death threat against me.'

It follows an alarming message she posted yesterday warning people that she was not suicidal and that 'evil people want to see me quieted.'

Ms Roberts, who now goes by her married name Virginia Giuffre, also said she had kept her doctors aware of her mental health status so they should know that if she was harmed it would not have been by her own hand.

She wrote: 'If something happens to me - in the sake of my family do not let this go away and help me to protect them. Too many evil people want to see me quieted.'

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She posted the message in response to another user who suggested the FBI would try to kill her 'to protect the ultra rich and well connected'.

It comes after Epstein died in custody in the US while awaiting trial. An official autopsy concluded he hanged himself, despite persistent conspiracies and claims by high-profile pathologist Michael Baden that the evidence 'points to homicide'.