Airmiles Andy to Airbrushed Andy as plaques axed
Groups rip down tablets unveiled by Prince
PLAQUES unveiled by Prince Andrew are being ripped off walls by organisations anxious to distance themselves from the beleaguered Royal, we can reveal.
Commemorative tablets marking Prince Andrew’s visits, including in Scotland, are being removed amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and the Prince’s disastrous Newsnight interview.
Highland Hospice in Inverness removed a plaque unveiled in December 2016 by Andrew – who holds the title of Earl of Inverness – when he opened their new inpatient unit.
One patient, who asked not to be named, said: ‘The Highland Hospice has quite rightly chosen to disassociate itself from Prince Andrew.
‘I’m very impressed they’ve taken a stance.’
Rotherham University recently decided to remove a plaque unveiled by the Duke in June when he marked the opening of its new Doncaster Gate campus.
It has also removed photographs of the visit.
A spokesman said: ‘In light of the allegations raised, the executive leadership team took the decision to remove the plaque within days of the [Newsnight] interview last month and it has been taken down.’
Similar action has been taken at the University of the West of England, which has taken down two plaques installed for visits by Andrew to open new campuses in July 2017 and March last year. A spokesman said the decision had been made ‘in light of recent events’.
An online petition calling for the Queen to strip Andrew of his Earl of Inverness title has so far attracted 1,463 signatures.
In Canada, it was reported that Prince Andrew High School in Nova Scotia is considering changing its name.
Principal Brad McGowan, who wants the issue discussed at a school council meeting, said: ‘We’ve had inquiries about the appropriateness of the name, so I think it’s my responsibility to ask “Does this name continue to reflect the community?”.’ Belinda
Oxner, chair of the school advisory council, said: ‘As a mother of three daughters, I find it very difficult to have that name on a building where our children are supposed to feel safe.’
Andrew has seen support evaporate since he gave a ‘car crash’ interview to the BBC’s Emily Maitlis.
In it, the Duke – who has repeatedly denied claims by Virginia Roberts, one of Epstein’s sex slaves, that they had sex on three occasions, the first when she was 17 – said that he could not recall ever meeting her.
Buckingham Palace said: ‘It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.’
The Prince’s flagship project Pitch@Palace, which supports entrepreneurs, is being wound up in the UK. Three directors of Pitch@ Palace Global, its overseas arm, are reported to have said they will quit unless he gives up control.