Prince Andrew Consulted the Queen & Prince Charles About Stepping Down
On Wednesday, Prince Andrew announced his decision to step back from royal duties for the foreseeable future in light of his association with Jeffrey Epstein and recent interview about their connection.
Andrew consulted with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and his older brother, Prince Charles, about the decision.
Yesterday, Prince Andrew announced his decision to step back from public life indefinitely in the wake of backlash over his reported friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and his recent television interview addressing his association with the convicted sex offender.
Earlier this week, the Duke of York sat down with the BBC for the interview, in which he also denied accusations that he had a sexual encounter with a woman named Virginia Roberts Giuffre when she was just 17 years old.
Following the fallout from the interview, Andrew had "ongoing discussions" with senior members of the royal family, including the queen and the Prince of Wales, ITV News reports.
On Wednesday, before the announcement was released, Andrew visited Buckingham Palace to meet with the queen about the issue in person. Prince Charles, who is currently on a royal tour in New Zealand, was also consulted.
According to ITV, the decision puts the future of Andrew's pet charities in question, though the Palace is reportedly working on ways to keep them going without his personal involvement. The outlet adds that Andrew will also no longer receive money from the Sovereign Grant, which is funded by a proportion of the profits from the Crown Estate. Instead, Andrew will rely on his private income and income from the Privy Purse (the Queen’s private income).
A statement by His Royal Highness The Duke of York KG.
A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Nov 20, 2019 at 10:06am PST
Read Andrew's statement in full below:
"It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family's work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support.
"Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.
"I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigation, if required."
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