Prince Andrew's lawyers have raised doubts over the photograph showing him posing with sex slave accuser Virginia Roberts in 2001, it is claimed.

The Duke of York's legal team are said to have asked to be shown the original image saying the royal has 'absolutely no recollection' of it ever being taken.

Sources close to Andrew today said there are questions over the veracity of the photo, amid claims the hand round his accuser's waist does 'not look right.'

Virginia Roberts Giuffre claimed in a 2015 lawsuit that she had sex with the prince when she was 17 during a visit to London with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

But the insider today hit back, saying the prince now believes claims made by Roberts - who now uses her married surname Giuffre - are 'like a witch-hunt with absolutely no evidence' of any wrong doing.

A source said: 'Look at his fingers in the photo. The duke has quite chubby fingers, they don't look right and nor does the height of the duke and the girl.

The Duke of York's legal team have asked to be shown the original image saying he has 'absolutely no recollection' of it ever being taken

Sources said lawyers have questioned the image, saying it does 'not look right; and the Duke has 'quite chubby fingers' - not like those shown in the 2001 photo

Prince Andrew was spotted yesterday playing golf while on holiday in Sotogrande in Spain

The source added to the Evening Standard's Royal Editor Robert Jobson: 'I understand his legal team have asked to have proper sight of the original photograph so they can carry out their own investigation as they seriously doubt its veracity.'

Miss Roberts alleges that Epstein, who was a friend of Andrew's and was pictured with him a number of times, kept her as a 'sex slave' and robbed her of her childhood.

She said yesterday that the prince knew 'exactly what he has done' and urged him to 'come clean' after speaking at a hearing with other Epstein victims in New York.

Responding to her comments, the source told the Standard: 'Yes, he does know exactly what he's done ... nothing.'

Prince Andrew has faced allegations that he had sex three times with Ms Roberts, 36, who now lives in Australia, when she was 17.

Roberts fought back tears as she gave a statement outside a court on Tuesday

Virginia Roberts said Prince Andrew knew 'exactly what he has done' and urged him to 'come clean' on Tuesday after speaking at a hearing with other Jeffrey Epstein victims. Andrew is shown, right, on Tuesday

The source added to the publication: 'Her claims are categorically untrue. Sadly, if you go through her testimony there are so many inconsistencies.

'Claims that Miss Roberts went to Tramp nightclub in London with the duke and he was drinking cocktails with her are just not true.

'The duke doesn't drink, he is teetotal, anyone who really knows him knows that.'

A senior source added: 'The duke is adamant and has been consistent since 2011 that he does not recall ever meeting Miss Roberts, let alone the photo being taken.

'Many close to the duke, who know him well, believe this is witch-hunt based on absolutely no evidence.

'I know that HRH feels deeply for the victims of Epstein but he has no way to respond ... other than to continue his denials because he had no knowledge of them.'

Another source told the publication that he was 'guilty only of showing misplaced loyalty to a friend and a lack of judgment in his choice of friend.'

It was claimed at the weekend that Ghislaine Maxwell, the woman accused of recruiting girls for Jeffry Epstein's network of sex slaves, made secret visits to Buckingham Palace to see Prince Andrew.

Epstein killed himself in his jail cell earlier this month and escaped prosecution and poverty in doing so

Brit socialite Maxwell - the daughter of disgraced publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell - has been in hiding since Epstein's death on August 10.

There have been repeated statements from Buckingham Palace that he is 'appalled' by the allegations against Epstein and has done nothing wrong.

On Saturday he released a lengthy statement, defending his former friendship with Epstein, insisting that 'at no stage' did he see or suspect criminal behaviour.

The Prince spoke out amid intense scrutiny over his close relationship with the paedophile billionaire after he killed himself in a Manhattan prison two weeks ago.

A video obtained by the Mail on Sunday shows Andrew waving to a woman from inside Epstein's New York mansion.

In a lengthy statement, the Duke of York admitted it was a 'mistake and error' to see Epstein in 2010 after his 2008 conviction for sex with a child but he insisted did not 'witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction'.

In a statement, Andrew said: 'It is apparent to me since the suicide of Mr Epstein that there has been an immense amount of media speculation about so much in his life.

'This is particularly the case in relation to my former association or friendship with Mr Epstein.

Andrew's (left) friendship with Epstein (right) goes back to least 1999. In 2000 the financier and his ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of the late newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell, were invited by Andrew to a party at Windsor Castle thrown by the Queen

'Therefore I am eager to clarify the facts to avoid further speculation.

'I met Mr Epstein in 1999. During the time I knew him, I saw him infrequently and probably no more than only once or twice a year. I have stayed in a number of his residences.

'At no stage during the limited time I spent with him did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.

'I have said previously that it was a mistake and an error to see him after his release in 2010 and I can only reiterate my regret that I was mistaken to think that what I thought I knew of him was evidently not the real person, given what we now know.

'I have tremendous sympathy for all those affected by his actions and behaviour.

Prince Andrew addressed Epstein's death in this statement on August 24

'His suicide has left many unanswered questions and I acknowledge and sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure.

'This is a difficult time for everyone involved and I am at a loss to be able to understand or explain Mr Epstein's lifestyle.

He added: 'I deplore the exploitation of any human being and would not condone, participate in, or encourage any such behaviour.'

On Tuesday, Roberts spoke with dozens of other women who had been invited to court by Judge Richard Berman who had been handling Epstein's criminal human trafficking case which, in light of his suicide earlier this month, will now draw to a close.

Epstein was found hanged in a New York prison cell on August 10.

After the hearing, she said it was important for authorities to push on with their investigation into Epstein's network.

'It's not how Jeffrey died but it's how he lived but we need to get to the bottom of everybody who was involved in that, starting with Ghislaine Maxwell and going along the lines there.

'I was recruited at a very young age from Mar-a-Lago and entrapped in a world that I didn't understand.

'I've been fighting that world to this day. I will never stop fighting, I will never be silenced until these people are brought to justice,' she said.

Prince Andrew was photographed at Jeffrey Epstein's New York mansion in 2010 waving off a lady who was seen coming and going through the front door

As she stepped away from the podium, she was asked about Andrew. After hesitating for a moment, she said: 'He knows what he has done and he can attest to that.

'He knows exactly what he's done, and I hope he comes clean about it.'

The victims have asked that the investigation into Epstein's crimes carry on so that anyone who facilitated them who is still alive may be brought to justice.

Many of the victims still plan to sue the late paedophile's $577million estate. Tuesday's hearing was the first time many had told their stories.

In their statements, they slammed Epstein as a 'coward' and said he 'robbed' them of their innocence.

Some were speaking out for the first time, including Chauntae Davies, who worked as an air hostess on his private plane, dubbed 'the Lolita express'.

Davies, who agreed to be named, said she, like dozens of others, was also paid by Epstein to perform erotic massages when he raped her the third or fourth time they met on his private Caribbean island.

Another woman, who remained anonymous, said she was 15 when Epstein flew her to a ranch where she was sexually molested for many hours while he kept insisting he was helping her to grow.

Teala Davies was 17 when she was victimized. She said she thought Epstein was the most powerful person in the world. Afterwards, she said: 'All I'm going to say is today is a day of power and strength.'

Others described how he became 'excited' when they begged him to stop touching them when they were underage. Another sobbed as she told how he tried to intimidate her to stop her reporting him to police.

Some of the women were being represented by attorney Gloria Allred who said they planned to file lawsuits against Epstein's estate seeking damages.

Timeline of the Duke of York's controversial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein The Duke of York has spoken out for the first time since the death of his former friend Jeffrey Epstein, to insist he had not seen any behaviour of the kind that led to the disgraced financier's arrest and conviction on sex charges. Here is a timeline of the duke's relationship with Epstein. 1999 Andrew first meets Jeffrey Epstein, reportedly introduced through his friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell. Andrew welcomes Epstein to the Queen's private Scottish retreat in Aberdeenshire, the Daily Mail newspaper reported. Andrew later says he sees Epstein 'infrequently', adding 'probably no more than only once or twice a year'. Ghislaine Maxwell and the Duke of York in newly resurfaced pictures arriving at the wedding of Aurelia Cecil and Rupert Stephenson at St Michaels and All Angels Church in Compton Chamberlayne in Wiltshire in 2000 2000 Andrew and Ms Maxwell are seen on holiday with Epstein at Donald Trump's Mar a Largo Club in Palm Beach, Florida. Epstein and Ms Maxwell attend a party at Windsor Castle hosted by the Queen to mark Andrew's 40th birthday, the Princess Royal's 50th, the Queen Mother's 100th and Princess Margaret's 70th. 2001 Virginia Roberts claims to have had sex with Andrew 'three times, including one orgy', with the first encounter allegedly taking place in Ms Maxwell's London townhouse. Ms Roberts claims to have had sex with Andrew on two more occasions, at Epstein's New York home and at an 'orgy' on his private island in the Caribbean. 2008 Epstein admits prostituting minors and is sentenced to 18 months in prison. 2010 Epstein is released from jail. Andrew is photographed with the by-then disgraced Epstein in New York's Central Park. Footage emerges years later, reportedly shot on December 6 2010, showing him inside Epstein's Manhattan mansion, from where he is seen looking out from a large door of the property waving a woman goodbye after Epstein leaves to get into a chauffeur-driven car. 2011 The duke quits his role as UK trade envoy after the fallout from the Central Park photos. 2015 Buckingham Palace denies Andrew has committed any impropriety after he is named in US court documents related to Epstein. A woman, later named in reports as Ms Roberts, alleges in papers filed in Florida that she was forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17, which is under the age of consent in the state. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Andrew, in his first public engagement since he was embroiled in the allegations, responds, saying: 'Firstly I think I must, and want, for the record, to refer to the events that have taken place in the last few weeks. 'I just wish to reiterate, and to reaffirm, the statements that have already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace.' In April the claims against Andrew are struck from US civil court records following a federal judge's ruling. 2019 Newly released legal documents show that Johanna Sjoberg, another alleged Epstein victim, claimed Andrew touched her breast while sitting on a couch inside the US billionaire's Manhattan apartment in 2001. Buckingham Palace said the allegations are 'categorically untrue'. Epstein is found dead in his jail cell on August 10, having killed himself after being charged with sex trafficking. Later that month a pilot on Epstein's private jet claims Andrew was a passenger on past flights with the financier and Ms Roberts. The Sun newspaper reported that David Rodgers said in a testimony released in August that Epstein, Andrew and the-then 17-year-old travelled to the US Virgin Islands on April 11 2001. Buckingham Palace describes the evidence statement as having 'a number of inconsistencies' and said that Andrew was on a different continent in some cases. Following Epstein's death, a statement from the palace says that Andrew is 'appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged crimes'. Breaking his silence on the issue for the first time since 2015, Andrew then releases a statement on August 24 saying: 'At no stage during the limited time I spent with him (Epstein) did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.' Advertisement

British actress, 42, who went to school with Kate Middleton reveals she was 'manipulated, coerced and sexually abused' by Jeffrey Epstein as a teenager at hearing alongside 30 of the pedophile's victims

British actress Anouska De Georgiou, 42, revealed that she was sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein during a hearing with other victims of the late pedophile

A former school peer of Kate Middleton, British actress Anouska De Georgiou, revealed that she was sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein during a hearing with other victims of the pedophile who killed himself earlier this month.

De Georgiou, 42, identified herself as one of Epstein's victims for the first time on Tuesday, telling a judge in Manhattan federal court that the millionaire 'manipulated me, coerced me and sexually abused me'.

Kate Middleton's former peer, De Georgiou, who was in a 2004 remake of Alfie starring Jude Law said she was a teenager when she met Epstein.

'When I was introduced to Jeffrey Epstein, I was young and full of hope and the foolishness of a teenager. I was idealistic, and I saw the good in people,' De Georgiou said.

'The abuse, spanning several years, was devaluing beyond measure and affected my ability to form and maintain healthy relationships, both in my work and my personal life.'

She did not reveal how she was introduced to Epstein or any details of the alleged abuse during her brief statement.

'I was a victim, and it has taken me many, many years to stand here and say, yes, it was me,' she said.

De Georgiou, 42, identified herself as one of Epstein's victims for the first time on Tuesday, telling a judge in Manhattan federal court that the millionaire 'manipulated me, coerced me, and sexually abused me'. The Britain-born model is pictured in 2005, left, and Epstein is pictured, right

'I was a victim, but I will not remain a victim and be silent for one more day.

'Although I think it's tragic when anybody dies before their time, I'm extremely relieved that Jeffrey Epstein will not be in a position to hurt anymore children or anymore women, and I'm glad to be part of a group of women who are now bonded forever in the trauma that we endured at the hands of this man.'

De Georgiou attended Marlborough College at the same time as Kate Middleton. It is unclear whether she and the future Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) knew each other

De Georgiou was among the dozens of accusers who were invited to address Judge Richard Berman in court on Tuesday, just over two weeks after Epstein died of an apparent suicide.

Berman had been handling Epstein's criminal human trafficking case which, in light of his death, will now draw to a close.

The victims have asked that the investigation into his crimes carry on so that anyone who facilitated them who is still alive may be brought to justice.

Many of the victims still plan to sue the late pedophile's $577million estate.

In their statements, they slammed Epstein as a 'coward' and said he 'robbed' them of their innocence.

De Georgiou is the first British victim to come forward. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

She is the daughter of Barbara, a former debutante and director of a fine jewelery company, and Anthony, a millionaire financier.

De Georgiou has been romantically tied to a number of celebrities including David Hasselhoff. The pair are pictured together in August 2010

She attended Marlborough College at the same time as the Duchess of Cambridge before giving up an opportunity to study law at Oxford to concentrate on her modeling career. De Georgiou is pictured with Jack Osbourne in London in 2005

She attended Marlborough College at the same time as the Duchess of Cambridge, who studied at the over £38,000-per-year ($47,000) boarding school from 1996 to 2000.

Upon graduation from Marlborough, De Georgiou gave up an opportunity to study law at Oxford to concentrate on her modeling career.

She moved to the US after her role in Alfie, and went on to play parts in the 2009 film 21 And A Wake-Up starring Faye Dunaway and the 2013 film Time Traveller starring Josh Hartnett.

The former Playboy model has been romantically tied to a number of celebrities including David Hasselhoff in 2010 and Russell Brand a few years later.

De Georgiou did not reveal how or when she was introduced to Epstein or any details of the alleged abuse during her brief statement in Manhattan court. The actress is pictured with producer Henri Zimand at an event in Los Angeles in 2006