, 0 0 0 ▁as ▁a ▁down ▁payment . ▁The ▁Duke ' s ▁ent ou rage ▁em ph atically ▁denied ▁he ▁knew ▁of ▁the ▁situation . ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Sarah ▁stated ▁that ▁her ▁multi - mill ion ▁p ound ▁deb ts ▁had ▁been ▁cleared ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁inter vention ▁of ▁her ▁former ▁husband , ▁whom ▁she ▁compared ▁to ▁a ▁" kn ight ▁on ▁a ▁white ▁char ger ". ▁ ▁Association ▁with ▁Jeff rey ▁Ep stein ▁ ▁Friend ship ▁with ▁Ep stein ▁and ▁sex ▁ab use ▁alleg ations ▁BBC ▁News ▁reported ▁that ▁Prince ▁Andrew ' s ▁friendship ▁with ▁Jeff rey ▁Ep stein , ▁an ▁American ▁financi er ▁and ▁conv icted ▁sex ▁off ender , ▁was ▁producing ▁" a ▁steady ▁stream ▁of ▁criticism " ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁with ▁calls ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁step ▁down ▁from ▁his ▁role ▁as ▁trade ▁en voy . ▁The ▁Duke ▁was ▁also ▁critic ized ▁in ▁the ▁media ▁after ▁Sarah ▁Fer g us on ▁dis closed ▁that ▁he ▁helped ▁ar range ▁for ▁Ep stein ▁to ▁pay ▁off ▁£ 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁her ▁deb ts . ▁Prince ▁Andrew ▁had ▁been ▁photograph ed ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁st rolling ▁with ▁Ep stein ▁in ▁Central ▁Park ▁during ▁a ▁visit ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁Duke ' s ▁role ▁as ▁trade ▁en voy ▁was ▁terminated ▁and ▁he ▁reported ly ▁cut ▁all ▁t ies ▁with ▁Ep stein . ▁ ▁On ▁