The royal vehemently denied the claim and told police the alleged extortionists should be pursued, even if it meant giving evidence in court. Today Scotland Yard sources said they were "totally satisfied" that the victim of the plot had not been involved in any of the acts alleged. The name of the victim has been disclosed on the internet and in foreign media outlets but its publication in Britain is banned by a court order. They are alleged to have tried to blackmail the royal with a video of an aide taking cocaine and boasting of the sex act and a gay fling with an MP. While the identity of the royal remains secret, sources have indicated it is not a senior member of the family. A British commentator named the person during a live broadcast on cable news broadcaster Fox News.
The men also said the footage showed the royal aide snorting cocaine from an envelope allegedly supplied by the royal, the paper reported. It is the first time in more than a century that a member of the royal family has been the target of an alleged blackmail plot. Buckingham Palace was not immediately available to comment. The Metropolitan Police issued the following statement in response to an inquiry about the story: "A year-old man and a year-old man appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates Court on 13th of September, each charged with one count of blackmail.
Sex, drugs and silence from the palace: the first royal blackmail plot in a century
One of two men alleged to be involved in a gay-sex-and-drugs blackmail plot against a minor member of the British Royal Family will appear in court this week. The men, aged 40 and 30, appeared initially at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 13, each charged with one count of blackmail. The hearing was held in camera and never reported, and the judge issued a gagging order forbidding publication of any detail that could identify victims or witnesses.
Scotland Yard yesterday confirmed that two men are in custody, having been charged with blackmail last month. Buckingham Palace has refused to discuss the case, saying it is a police matter. Although a name was being circulated yesterday, a court order prevents the identification of the royal or any witnesses. They were also alleged to have claimed that they had footage of the aide snorting cocaine and evidence suggesting the royal had supplied the aide with an envelope containing the drug.