Prince Andrew's private secretary to become CEO of duke's charity after train wreck interview
Prince Andrew's private secretary has reportedly been removed from her role and will now head up the duke’s charity following his train wreck interview with the BBC.
Amanda Thirsk, who is believed to have organised Andrew’s Newsnight appearance on Saturday, will now run the business mentorship scheme Pitch@Palace, after she was dismissed on Thursday.
Ms Thirsk, who has been on the duke’s team for seven years, was the victim of a "downscaling" of the duke's office after he decided to step down from public duties on Wednesday for the foreseeable future, according to the BBC.
Buckingham Palace told Yahoo News UK it did not answer questions about Andrew’s team.
The Duke of York has been heavily criticised over his interview about his friendship with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
American Virginia Giuffre has claimed Epstein made her have sex with the prince when she was just 17.
Andrew has repeatedly denied these allegations.
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The royal will be continuing with Pitch@Palace “outside and entirely separate from the palace”, a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said.
It is thought he will not have any involvement with the dozens of other charities, organisations and military units with which he has been associated.
Pitch will become a private initiative separate from the public work he has relinquished, after the backlash following the television interview about his friendship with Epstein, widely viewed as a PR disaster.
Several organisations have distanced themselves from the duke in the aftermath of the Queen’s second son announcing he would step down from public duties for the “foreseeable future”.
Pressure had been mounting on the duke in the wake of his interview, with a growing number of multimillion-pound businesses, universities and charities distancing themselves from him and Pitch@Palace.
Ms Thirsk will also manage the Duke of York’s Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award.
Meanwhile, The Duke of York has cancelled a trip to Bahrain as the fallout over his interview continues, it has been reported.
On Friday, during his week-long trip to New Zealand, the Prince of Wales ignored a question from a reporter about whether the duke should speak to US investigators.
