Prince Andrew Has Reportedly Been Dropped by One of His Patronages
Prince Andrew is now beginning to face consequences for his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Sky News reports that the Duke of York has been dropped by one of his patronages, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The Orchestra said in a statement to Sky News that they have decided to "part company" with Prince Andrew, and would like to express "gratitude to His Royal Highness for his support of the orchestra over the past 15 years."
The news comes after his widely panned interview with the BBC about his ties to Epstein and the sexual misconduct allegations made against him by one of Epstein's accusers, Virginia Guiffre.
Sky News reports that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is just one of the "string" of organizations that are reviewing their relationship with Prince Andrew. According to People, multiple businesses and charities have pulled their support from his initiatives, including accounting firm KPMG, which to pulled its support for his networking initiative Pitch@Palace back in September. Though he has stepped down from public duties following the BBC interview, Buckingham Palace said that he will work with Pitch@Palace "outside and entirely separate from the palace."
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
As a member of the royal family, Prince Andrew is the patron of over 200 charities and organizations, including the English National Ballet, the Children's Foundation, and the Army Rifle Association. Earlier this week, he resigned as patron of the Outward Bound Trust, and it's been reported that all 200-plus organizations are reviewing their relationships with him, though that hasn't been confirmed.
Earlier this week, Prince Andrew announced he would "step back" from royal duties, writing in a statement, "It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support.
Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission."
