Pride of place in lair of a paedo...

FROM the sanctity of the Royal Box at Ascot, the late Queen would enjoy her favourite event of the year safe in the knowledge it was reserved for only those held in the highest regard.

- BY CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

But Prince Andrew sullied one occasion by inviting paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein and his sex-trafficking girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell to spend a day in the same highly-protected enclosure as his mum and the Queen Mother.

And to cap it all, a picture appearing to show the trio in the invite-only Royal Box was given pride of place at the US tycoon’s New York lair, which is where underage girls were trafficked and abused as part of his sick operation

The image was taken at Ladies’ Day on June 22, 2000, one of the highlights of the Queen's calendar - an event she only missed four times during her 70-year reign, two of which were when she was pregnant.

It was placed in the main corridor of Epstein's £60million Manhattan mansion, in front of pictures of the late pervert with other high-profile figures, including the Pope, Fidel Castro, Sir Richard Branson and Sir Mick Jagger.

Sources claim he viewed the Ascot image as a personal badge of legitimacy and protection.

One said: “This was no accident. That image was positioned to be seen.

“It was a clear statement of the access and influence Jeff had cultivated.

“He had it positioned in front of pictures with some of the world’s most powerful and rich men. That is what his friendship with Andrew meant.