A FORMER beauty queen says Jeffrey Epstein used Prince Andrew as “bait” to lure her into his clutches — six years before the two men are said to have met.
Beatrice Keul revealed the tycoon boasted of his royal connections — promising he would “facilitate” a meeting between her and the Duke.
The Swiss model said US tycoon Epstein boasted of his royal connections[/caption]
She also claims Epstein told her he was Donald Trump’s best friend.
The 6ft 1in Swiss model became the sex trafficker’s prey at a beauty pageant in New York in 1993 when he tried to chat her up referencing his links to Andrew.
Yet in his infamous BBC Newsnight interview, Andrew said he first met paedophile Epstein in 1999.
Beatrice’s account now raises fresh questions over how long the two men were associated.
Beatrice, then aged 24, said of Epstein: “Straight away he told me, ‘I’m Don’s best friend’, so I trusted him.
“He was trying to invite me to a dance party at Mar-a-Lago in Florida and trying to convince me to come, saying, ‘I will take care of you’.
“He said, ‘You don’t have to worry. Flights, hotels, I’ll sort everything, just come because Don likes you. We organise lots of parties at Mar-a-Lago.’
“I became very suspicious.
“I didn’t like the way he talked to me.
“He was very slimy.
“He wasn’t my type at all.”
Beatrice said she began to feel uncomfortable and did not want to attend any party.
But she said Epstein persisted — before bringing up Prince Andrew.
She added: “He kept saying he had very rich and powerful friends and knew the Royal Family. And then I said, ‘The Royal Family?’ And he said ‘Prince Andrew.’ ”
She went on: “He said he could facilitate the contact.
“And I was shocked because he wasn’t the kind of guy that you’d think would be in the Royal Family’s society.
“He didn’t look like he would have the manners for that.
“But he wanted me to put me in touch with Prince Andrew.
“Then he told me, ‘You’ve got the calibre for this league’.
“I didn’t see me with Prince Andrew, not even for a second, even though he was ready to arrange contact with him.
“Then I saw Epstein talking to the other girls.
“He was making his rounds.
“He was there to recruit and get addresses and phone numbers.
“He asked for my details but I wouldn’t give him them so he said he would just get them off Don (Trump).”
Beatrice had received an all-expenses paid invitation to attend the Donald J. Trump American Dream World Finals in New York and Atlantic City, after she was runner-up in the Miss Switzerland 1992 competition and reaching the Miss Europe finals in Istanbul.
Beatrice said: “I was so excited to receive the invitation but I was blind — I didn’t know what I was walking into.
“I thought it would start my modelling career.”
Once Beatrice arrived at new York’s JFK airport, she flew to Atlantic City to Trump’s Taj Mahal Casino Castle, which he then owned, where she met around 60 women from the US and other parts of the world.
After an introductory dinner, the group were taken to the Plaza hotel in Manhattan, which is where she first met Trump, then 47, who she said made a bee-line for her at a press luncheon event.
Last year Beatrice claimed Trump lifted her dress and groped her at the pageant.
He denied her claims, calling them “false”.
Andrew became pals with Epstein after being introduced by mutual friend Ghislaine Maxwell, now serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.
Andrew was later alleged to have had sex with Virginia Guiffre, who claims she was trafficked to the prince aged 17.
She sued the Duke of York in 2021.
He made an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum and has always vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
In 2022, he was forced to step away from royal duties, and was stripped him of his HRH and military titles.
Epstein was found dead in jail in 2019 while he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges.
Beatrice said she was speaking out to expose how Epstein used beauty contests to prey on women.
She said: “He was hunting, picking the fresh meat he wanted. And it wasn’t hidden.
“It was all there in front of our eyes, but we didn’t realize at the time.”
