Prince Andrew steps down from public duties amid Jeffrey Epstein scandal

Scrutiny over ‘ill-judged’ association with disgraced US financier causing ‘major disruption’ to royal family’s work

Controversy deepened after Prince Andrew’s apparent lack of compassion for Epstein’s victims in disastrous TV interview

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Britain's Prince Andrew arrives at the Francis Crick Institute in London in July 2017. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 2:58am, 21 Nov 2019Updated: 10:28pm, 21 Nov 2019

Britain’s Prince Andrew stepped down from public duties on Wednesday, saying the controversy surrounding his ill-judged association with late US financier Jeffrey Epstein had caused major disruption to the royal family’s work.

Andrew, Queen Elizabeth’s second son, denies an allegation that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl procured for him by his friend Epstein, who killed himself in a US prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

The scandal has escalated since Andrew’s rambling explanations in a disastrous television interview aired on Saturday left many viewers incredulous, and his apparent lack of compassion for Epstein’s victims drew widespread condemnation.

In a statement issued by Buckingham Palace, Andrew said the scrutiny had become a “major disruption” to the work of the royal family and the charities associated with him.

“Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission,” he said.