Prince Andrew given 'tap on the shoulder' by royal security after Queen realised his interview was a disaster

The Duke of York had to step down as a working member of the Royal Family following the grilling.

Emily Maitlis, who interviewed the Duke of York for Newsnight, told Channel 4 Andrew had to seek permission from the monarch to do the television interview.

Maitlis said: "Andrew said this curious phrase, 'You know, I’ve got to seek approval from higher up.'

"Of course, he’s talking about the Queen."

She said following the interview: "The Queen had reportedly read the transcript.

"Andrew received a tap on the shoulder by his security detail and they said, 'Sir, you might have to come with us.'

"It was after the Queen had seen it, that it dawned on her before it dawned on him."

Prince Andrew’s lawyer Paul Tweed told the documentary titled 'Andrew: The Problem Prince', that he was stunned Andrew had agreed to do the interview.

Tweed said: "But the Duke made the decision on his own.

"I thought, 'Somebody’s going to stop this'. In the Palace, you know...the reaction was devastating."

Maitlis added that Andrew gave a wave of bad answers during the interview and failed to "disassociate himself" from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

She said: "Every time he’s given an opportunity to disassociate himself from Epstein... you wait for those sentences, you never hear them.

"So I’m thinking already this interview may not have been his best decision.

"It was just this tidal wave of bad answers."