Amid turmoil, Prince Andrew to step back from royal duties

LONDON— Following days of turmoil that have damaged the British royal family’s reputation, Prince Andrew announced Wednesday that he will step back from public duties “for the foreseeable future” because of his association with a notorious American sex offender.

The second son of Queen Elizabeth II said in a statement that his ties to Jeffrey Epstein had become a “major disruption” to the royal family’s charitable work. It was unclear whether the change was a temporary or permanent shift in his role.

Andrew said he had obtained the queen’s permission to step away. He also said he was willing to help any law enforcement agency with an investigation.

The scandal has rocked the royal family, particularly since a television interview on Saturday failed to ease the many questions about Andrew’s links to Epstein.

For a senior royal to step away from his duties is extremely unusual and reflects the degree to which charities and educational institutions had questioned their associations with him in recent days.

Andrew said his history with Epstein had disrupted his family’s work and “the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support.”

The prince said he regretted his ties to the billionaire investor, who took his own life in August while in jail on sex-trafficking charges. Andrew said he “deeply sympathizes” with Epstein’s victims, many of whom were underage victims of trafficking.

In the interview, the prince seemed to show no remorse for his relationship with Epstein. Wednesday’s statement made clear that Andrew and his advisers now understand how damaging the interview was.

Like most senior members of the royal family, Andrew was a patron for charities and other civic endeavours, lending his name and the backing of the monarchy to the good works of all manner of institutions. But after the interview, some charities and universities said they were reviewing their association with the prince.

Andrew has faced questions over his links to Epstein for years, and he hoped the interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis would ease the pressure. The move backfired.

Critics said Andrew came across as insensitive and arrogant — particularly in an era in which social media has made even the rich and the powerful seem more accessible.

The prince defended his previous friendship with Epstein because of the contacts it provided when he was preparing for his role as Britain’s special trade representative.

Charities question ties following BBC interview about links to Epstein