Two Australian universities sever ties with Prince Andrew charity after Epstein interview
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Two Australian universities have severed ties with a business mentoring charity founded by Prince Andrew after the royal’s train-wreck interview about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The Pitch@Palace program – founded by the prince in 2014 – supports entrepreneurs and start-up companies and gives them the opportunity to pitch their idea to business leaders at places including Buckingham Palace.
The Australian branch, Pitch@Palace Australia, held its annual pitching contest on 4 October, at Government House in Perth, hosted by Prince Andrew himself.
Pitch@Palace Australia lists four universities as “host partners”, but Melbourne’s RMIT University and Bond University in Queensland have now formally ended their association.
Another, the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, said it would be reviewing their relationship. The fourth “host partner”, Murdoch University in Western Australia, has been contacted for comment.
Over the past few days, multiple corporate partners have also deserted the charity – including Standard Chartered, Aon and KPMG.
On Saturday night, the Duke of York gave a much-derided interview to the BBC where he denied accusations of sexual assault and defended his links to the financier and convicted child sex offender Epstein.
