Revealed: Andrew ignored Fergie and Bea to do interview

IF ONLY Prince Andrew had listened to his nearest and dearest before he went ahead with his disastrous Newsnight interview that has resulted in him stepping down from royal duties.

For I can reveal that his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, and eldest daughter Beatrice both cautioned him against doing the programme, while his then private secretary Amanda Thirsk was more gung-ho, thinking it could offer him a chance to draw a line under his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

‘Princess Beatrice and Sarah both advised Andrew against going ahead with the interview,’ a friend claims.

‘However, he paid too much attention to Amanda, who was encouraging him, saying it would clear his name.’

This contradicts weekend reports that Sarah Ferguson and Beatrice were among the key figures pressing him to participate. It was claimed that the Duchess of York had been keen to end the speculation about Andrew’s involvement with a convicted paedophile and sex trafficker ahead of Beatrice’s wedding to property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi next year.

However, Fergie did not attend the meeting with the Newsnight team and was abroad when details of the interview were being finalised.

Andrew, Beatrice and Thirsk met Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis and the programme’s deputy editor, Stewart Maclean, at Buckingham Palace three days before filming to discuss the scope of the interview. A close friend of Beatrice insists she ‘wasn’t part of the decisionmaking process’. The pal adds: ‘Bea went to one meeting with the BBC. That’s all.’

Princess Beatrice, who hosted a party for her fiance’s 36th birthday at Mayfair nightclub Annabel’s last Tuesday, was said to be upset about the aftermath of the interview, which has seen Andrew forced to stand back from his charity patronages.

Thirsk, who has worked for the Prince since 2012, stepped down from her role as private secretary last week. She is reported to have clashed with Andrew’s former PR adviser Jason Stein, 28, who strongly advised Andrew against going ahead with Newsnight and left after just a month in his job.

Thirsk is being employed privately by the Prince and is going to be chief executive of his business mentoring undertaking, Pitch@Palace.