Buckingham Palace released a statement over the weekend saying Prince Andrew is “appalled” by the sex abuse and sex trafficking allegations against his former friend Jeffrey Epstein.

“The Duke of York has been appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged crimes,” the statement read. “His Royal Highness deplores the exploitation of any human being and the suggestion he would condone, participate in or encourage any such behaviour is abhorrent.”

The statement from Andrew — the 59-year-old Duke of York who is eighth in line to the British throne — comes after footage surfaced of him at the disgraced late New York financier’s Manhattan mansion in 2010.

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The video, shared by the MailOnline, reveals Andrew looking out of a door at Epstein’s home and waving goodbye to a woman after the financier departs the Central Park mansion to get into a car. After this footage became public, Andrew reportedly abandoned his position as UK trade ambassador.

Epstein, 66, who committed suicide by hanging in his Manhattan jail cell on Aug. 10, was arrested last month on charges of sexually abusing and trafficking underage girls and other young women during the 2000s. A court document dump from earlier this month included testimony from Epstein’s alleged victims, who claimed the Duke of York was among many other notable people they were forced to have sexual intercourse with. Epstein’s alleged victims also accused Democratic former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and renown lawyer Alan Dershowitz of being involved in the sex trafficking scandal.

Virginia Robertsone of the alleged victims now named Virginia Giuffre, claimed in the documents she was forced to have sex with Andrew “three times, including one orgy” when she was 17.

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Buckingham Palace insisted the accusations against the duke were “false and without any foundation” and added they were “categorically untrue.”

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