The big problem with His Royal Highness Prince Andrew is that he’s just too honourable.

We know this because he told us about the big problem himself during his train-wreck interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis last November.

Asked why he had spent four days partying at convicted billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s home in New York, Andrew sighed and replied: ‘That’s the bit that…as it were, I kick myself for on a daily basis because it was not something that was becoming of a member of the Royal Family and we try to uphold the highest standards and practices and I let the side down, simple as that.’

Questions: Prince Andrew said he would cooperate with any investigation into his one-time friend Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of young girls - but the FBI have said publicly that this is not the case

Well yes, holidaying at the residence of a paedophile who pleaded guilty to procuring a 14-year-old child for prostitution most definitely qualifies as ‘letting the side down.’ Not least the side of the poor girl left damaged and tormented by Epstein’s disgusting abuse (he paid her $300 to strip and massage him as he lay naked).

If I’d done what Andrew did, I’d probably kick myself a lot more than once a day.

But it was when he was pressed for WHY he'd done it that the Prince revealed his big character flaw.

‘At the end of the day,’ he explained, ‘with the benefit of all hindsight that one can have, it was definitely the wrong thing to but at the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do. I admit my judgement was probably coloured by my tendency to be too honourable but that’s just the way it is.’

Of course! The only ‘honourable’ thing to do if your friend is convicted of paying for a child to give him sexual pleasure is to go and hang out with him for four days of partying, along with numerous young women of unknown ages! That’s exactly what you do when you’re just too infused with 'honour'!

I thought this was a load of offensive disingenuous bullsh*t when I first heard Andrew spout it in that BBC interview.

And today I’m convinced of it.

Uncomfortable: Prince Andrew claimed in his car-crash BBC interview that he was acting 'honourably' by visiting pedophile Jeffrey Epstein (above in December 2010) at his Manhattan home for three days to end their friendship

Because now we know the same ‘honourable’ Prince Andrew has offered zero co-operation to FBI agents trying to establish the full scale of Jeffrey Epstein’s horrifying, monstrous abuse of many young girls, many of them under-age.

Since he killed himself in jail, dozens of Epstein’s alleged victims have come forward to tell appalling stories of what they say he did to them, and how he trafficked them to his rich, influential friends.

One of those victims is Virginia Roberts, who says Epstein and his alleged long-time fixer Ghislaine Maxwell made her have sex with Andrew in London when she was just 17.

Andrew has denied even meeting her, despite Roberts producing a photo of them together at Maxwell’s house from the night she says it happened, let alone having sex.

Presumably, he’d like us to believe he’s just ‘too honourable’ to do such a thing.

Just as he’s ‘too honourable’ to have ever been party to any inappropriate behaviour while a regular guest of Epstein’s at the tycoon’s many luxury homes.

These are places where the FBI believe there was, for several decades, a constant stream of underage girl visitors to perform sexual acts on Epstein and his friends.

Yet nothing apparently ever happened on Andrew’s paedo pal watch!

Hmmm.

Denial: Prince Andrew says he has no recollection of this picture of him with Virginia Roberts (with pal Ghislaine Maxwell) being taken when she was 17-years-old

It all sounded very suspicious back in November.

But now it sounds a lot more sinister.

The fact Andrew has refused to be interviewed under oath about it all by US criminal investigators suggests he might be lying.

Why else would he not wish to answer questions that might help Epstein’s myriad victims get justice?

Andrew’s silence is damning; very, VERY damning.

He promised in the BBC interview that he would ‘help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations’ into Epstein.

Yet when they took him at his word, and asked for his help, he hasn’t responded, though the Palace say the Duke's legal team are dealing with the matter.

The obvious uncomfortable conclusion to be drawn is that Andrew is hiding something.

Damning: By refusing to co-operate in person, Andrew has now raised a gigantic red flag over himself, and the heat on him will only intensify. For the New York states attorney Geoffrey Berman (above on Monday) to go public with his dismay at Andrew’s ‘zero co-operation’ is a stunning development.

But what?

That remains the burning question.

Andrew probably hoped he was over the worst of this scandal when his mother the Queen fired him from official royal duty after that calamitous interview.

He might have presumed that the ignominy of such public humiliation was as was as bad as it could get.

But if he did, then he was labouring under a massive misapprehension.

Because this isn’t just an embarrassing episode for the Royal Family of minor consequence for the Monarchy, like Meghan and Harry quitting Britain.

Andrew is embroiled in an ongoing and very serious criminal investigation involving the systematic sexual abuse of dozens, and maybe hundreds of poor young girls.

And the FBI will leave no stone unturned as they pursue justice and the truth, wherever their investigation leads them.

By refusing to co-operate in person, Andrew has now raised a gigantic red flag over himself, and the heat on him will only intensify.

For the New York states attorney Geoffrey Berman to go public with his dismay at Andrew’s ‘zero co-operation’ is a stunning development.

‘Jeffrey Epstein couldn’t have done what he did without the assistance of others,’ Berman said, ‘and I can assure you the investigation is moving forward.’

Andrew, when he was asked if would give a statement under oath to US investigators, told the BBC that ‘if push came to shove and the legal advice was to do so, then I would be duty bound to do so.’

Lawyers for Epstein’s alleged victims are now calling his bluff.

Lisa Bloom, who represents five of the women and said she was ‘outraged’ by Andrew’s behaviour, told BBC News: ‘Push has come to shove. Prince Andrew is himself accused of sexual misconduct and he also spent a great deal of time with Jeffrey Epstein. So, it’s time to stop playing games and to do the right thing and answer questions.’

Yes, it is.

But it seems Andrew lacks even the tiniest scintilla of ‘honour’ to do the right thing.

In fact, he’s been about as far from ‘honourable’ as it’s possible to be.

Push has come to shove: Lisa Bloom who represents five of the women who accuse Epstein of sexually assaulting them says Prince Andrew needs to stop playing games and speak to the FBI

It’s absolutely outrageous that a senior member of the Royal Family is avoiding US justice in this way, lurking behind the belief that he is almost certainly protected from any prosecution by some form of ‘state immunity’.

Though there’s an uncomfortable irony in the U.S. authorities expressing anger at a British citizen refusing to cooperate with them, given the U.S. has refused to cooperate with UK authorities over the shocking case of Harry Dunn.

Anne Sacoolas, a US spy’s wife, was charged with causing the death of 18-year-old Harry outside an American airbase in the UK in a traffic accident but used diplomatic immunity to flee the country and has refused to return.

It’s utterly appalling, but it’s a matter for America’s conscience and sense of fair play to see justice is done - and I hope President Trump does the right thing for the sake of Harry’s poor grieving family.

As Lisa Bloom added: ‘If we want cooperation, we must cooperate in their (Britain’s) investigations too.’

Prince Andrew’s shameful cowardly conduct, however, is a matter for Britain’s conscience and sense of fair play.

And the longer he refuses to cooperate with the FBI, the more guilty he looks.

If he won’t do the right thing, then the Queen must order him to.