The lawyer, who is based in Florida, told the BBC that there were communications between his client and the former prince before the encounter where she says she spent the night with him.
Edwards said he had been in contact with “certain legal counsel” of the former prince in the United States, but said Andrew had “seemingly been disconnected from his lawyers”.
Communications stopped after King Charles formally removed Andrew’s “style, title and honours”, he said. Andrew was stripped of his royal titles in October last year, following the publication of Giuffre’s posthumous memoir. It was also announced that he would leave Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate, which had been his home since 2004.
In the statement announcing the removal of the former prince’s titles, the Palace said: “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.”
Edwards said that stripping Andrew of his titles has allowed the former prince to maintain that he has no money and no ability to provide compensation, and to “allow these women to just suffer”.
“So the idea that the Royal Family so far cares about the victims, wanted to make things right – what they have done by simply stripping Prince Andrew of his titles and nothing more, has had the exact opposite effect of what they claim they are trying to do,” he said. A BBC investigation found that Epstein had trafficked a number of women into the UK through commercial flights and his private jets.
Buckingham Palace in October said “their majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been and will remain with the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse”.
The lawyer said he is now considering filing a civil lawsuit on the woman’s behalf against the former prince.
Virginia Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit in the US against Andrew in 2021, settling the case in February 2022 for an estimated £12m. She took her own life last year.
Andrew has always denied Giuffre’s claims.