WILL NATIONAL BALLET BE NEXT TO DITCH HIM?

THE desertion of Prince Andrew by charities and firms over the past 72 hours played a pivotal role in his withdrawal from public life.

Yesterday Barclays and the English National Ballet became the latest to distance themselves. They are among more than 20 companies and non-profit organisations to either cut ties with Andrew or say they were examining their links to him since Monday lunchtime.

Barclays is reviewing its sponsorship of Andrew’s Pitch@Palace charity and English National Ballet trustees are discussing whether to axe him as its patron given that it that works extensively with children. Sources at the ballet said ‘a significant number of people’ there feel he should quit over his former friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Last night Andrew made no mention in his announcement of what would happen to the more than 200 charities of which he is a patron or with which he has official roles. Some 24 of these are primarily concerned with children or young people.

Sources said Buckingham Palace will hold a series of private meetings in the coming days to discuss this issue.

Business start-up project Pitch@Palace – described by a royal aide as one of Andrew’s few ‘real success stories’ – is in the balance after a string of corporate sponsors backed out. It is credited with helping 9 1 firms and said to have created 5,982 jobs.

On Monday accountancy firm KPMG said it was protecting its reputation by ending its £100,000-a-year sponsorship. Insurance giant Aon asked for its name to be removed from the scheme’s website.

The Charity Commission advises that trustees ‘have a duty to avoid exposing your charity to undue risk’, including of reputational damage.