Prince Andrew's ex Lady Victoria Hervey says Ghislaine Maxwell used her as ‘bait to fish’ for girls for Epstein to abuse

PRINCE Andrew's ex Lady Victoria Hervey claims that Ghislaine Maxwell used her as "bait to fish" for girls for paedo Jeffrey Epstein to abuse.

The 44-year-old socialite said Maxwell used her as "bait" to entertain Epstein's friends and said the convicted paedo "kind of sat back and sort of waited for her to sort of go fishing" for girls.

Lady Victoria – who is the daughter of the 6th marquess of Bristol – told an ITV documentary that she met the pair 20 years ago and said she was "really young and naïve" at the time.

In a clip released to the MailOnline ahead of tonight's airing of the "Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile" documentary, Lady Victoria said Maxwell and Epstein were like "Batman and Robin" and were a "double act".

She said: "Jeffrey was really the frontman and Ghislaine was the accomplice. It was kind of like a Batman and Robin, and they were a double act.

"I don't think Jeffrey could have done any of it without Ghislaine."

Presenter Ranvir Singh said: "And Ghislaine was crucial to getting those girls, was she, do you think to those dinners?"

Lady Vic responded: "I think he just kind of sat back and sort of waited for her to sort of go fishing and go find however many girls were needed, you know, to entertain his friends. I think I was pretty much used as bait.

"You know, looking back at, you know I was really young and naïve, and she's entertaining these, you know, big businessmen. So I didn't realise it of course at the time, but looking back…"

The revelation comes as a hotly-anticipated documentary on the Prince's relationship with Epstein and Maxwell is set to air tonight on ITV at 9pm.

And it follows news the Prince will now face his sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre in a New York court later this year.

Andrew also had his royal title and his honorary military titles stripped by the Queen on Thursday.

Speaking with ITV's Lorraine, Lady Vic claimed Maxwell had become Epstein's "victim".

She told the show: "She is a scapegoat right now, so unfortunately for her, she is being taken down for what he has done as well. Some might argue is not quite as fair as it could be.

"I think Ghislaine was a victim and is a victim. 

"She was a victim that then became the accomplice as her role changed in that relationship when they were no longer together. She kind of switched sides. I do see her as a victim as well."

Maxwell, 60, was convicted of facilitating the sexual abuse of minors for her former lover, Epstein, in December and could face up to 65 years behind bars.

At one point in the documentary, Singh rifles through Epstein's "black book" of contacts and finds Prince Andrew's mobile number and tried calling it – only to hit the Prince's voicemail.

It comes as a close pal of Maxwell and the Duke said the pair had an "easy warmth" around each other and may have been dating.

New York-based Brit investment banker Euan Rellie suspected the pair "had probably been girlfriend and boyfriend" in the past.

According to reports in The Telegraph, Rellie said: "She described Andrew as being her friend, not Jeffrey’s.

"I got the sense that Prince Andrew and Ghislaine had probably been girlfriend and boyfriend in the past. They had an easy warmth around each other."

Former Royals bodyguard Paul Page has also weighed in, saying he suspected Andrew and Maxwell were lovers and claimed she came and went from Buckingham Palace "at will".

Page claimed in the same ITV programme that Maxwell visited up to four times in one day.

The pair are known to have been close friends, but have not been linked as lovers.

Page, who was jailed for fraud in 2009, has previously claimed Prince Andrew’s female friends, including Ghislaine, rarely signed in.

He told the same ITV programme: "From the way she was allowed to enter and exit the palace at will, we suspected that she may have had an intimate relationship with Prince Andrew.

"She kept coming in and out, in and out."

A spokesman for the Prince declined to comment.

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