Prince Andrew quietly removed as patron of almost 50 organisations
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The Duke of York has been quietly or publicly removed as patron of almost 50 organisations, despite his expressed intention to one day return to public life.
They included the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Children’s Fund, the Golf Foundation, the Children’s Foundation, the Outward Bound Trust and the British Science Association.
The proportion of his charities and organisations, thought to be at least one in four, that opted to sever ties with the Duke following his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, underlines the scale of the damage to his reputation.
Many, particularly those working with children, felt it was “no longer appropriate” to continue their associations with him. Others said they were determined to find a representative “better suited” to their aims and values.
When the Duke, 61, announced on Nov 20 2019 that he was “stepping back from public duties for the foreseeable future” following the furore over his disastrous Newsnight interview, many of his charities found themselves in a difficult position.
Photo: File photo of Britain’s Prince Andrew, Duke of York EPA-EFE/WILL OLIVER
