Disgraced Prince now without job
PRINCE Andrew will receive almost $500,000 a year for doing nothing, after his bombshell announcement yesterday that he was stepping down from royal duties.
In one of the biggest royal scandals in decades, The Sun newspaper in London reported the Queen summoned her favourite son to Buckingham Palace this week to strip him of all royal duties, after Prince Charles angrily told his disgraced brother he was finished as a “working” royal.
A host of corporate sponsors of the Duke of York’s charitable causes have abandoned him over the past few days, in the wake of his trainwreck BBC TV interview last weekend over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein where he denied allegations he slept with 17-year-old Virginia Roberts, who now lives in Cairns.
His explanations that he could not have been with her included taking his daughter to a Pizza Express restaurant, that he didn’t sweat and that he was not affectionate in public.
In a carefully-worded statement yesterday, the duke said he had decided to retreat from public life for the “foreseeable future”.
Britain’s leading royal author Penny Junor said: “This is absolutely unprecedented that a fairly senior member of the royal family should be forced to retire from public life.
“I would think the Queen is horrified.”
The duke signalled he was prepared to help the FBI in its probe into Epstein, who committed suicide in a New York jail cell this year.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that the duke’s allowance of $470,000 a year would continue, so he will be paid for doing nothing.
“The Duke of York is funded privately by the Queen,” a palace spokeswoman said. “The only taxpayer money is for travel.”
The duke’s exit from public life means taxpayers will not directly foot the bill for him any more. However, much of the Queen’s wealth is inherited and historically taxpayer funded.
The duke’s last full-time job was in the Royal Navy, but he left the service 18 years ago. He still manages to maintain properties in England and a $25 million chalet in Switzerland. Questions have been asked about how he managed to fund his opulent lifestyle.
The shamed 59-year-old royal made the shock announcement as British Telecom, Barclays and Standard Chartered banks and other corporate giants walked away from his pet causes.
The duke said in his statement he had listened to the criticism levelled at him.
“It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein have become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations that I am proud to support,” he said.
“Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”
Buckingham Palace is bracing for US authorities to issue Prince Andrew with a subpoena over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The summons, requesting the Duke gives testimony under oath, is “imminent”, according to the UK Telegraph.