Prince Andrew said on Wednesday he has asked to step down from public duties for the foreseeable future after being engulfed in a growing scandal involving Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew, Queen Elizabeth’s second son, denies an allegation that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl procured for him by his friend Epstein, the financier who killed himself in a U.S. prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The scandal has escalated since Andrew’s rambling explanations in a disastrous TV interview, which aired on Saturday, left many viewers incredulous. His apparent lack of compassion for Epstein’s victims also drew widespread condemnation.
As the story dominated news headlines for a fourth day, a slew of businesses distanced themselves from organizations and charities associated with the prince.
In a statement issued by Buckingham Palace, Andrew said the scrutiny had become a “major disruption” to the work of the Royal Family and the charities associated with him.
“Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission,” he said.
In an interview with CBC News just before the statement came out, Sunday Times senior writer John Arlidge said he sees no way back for Andrew from what he calls “reputation suicide.”
“If this were a chief executive of a corporation, if this were the head of any kind of institution, their feet wouldn’t have touched the ground,” said Arlidge. “They would have been out faster than you can say, you know, disgrace.”
The statement from the palace also said Andrew is “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”
Arlidge, who has interviewed Andrew one on one, says that’s the least he could do.
“That would be the absolute baseline starting point, because he has to make an enormous gesture to overcompensate massively for the damage that he’s done to himself. And that would be a very, very good place to start.”
Andrew’s conduct has spilled over into political debate ahead of Britain’s Dec. 12 national election. Opposition Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn said there were questions to be answered, although Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the monarchy was “beyond reproach.”
“I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein,” Andrew said.
“His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathize with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure.”
Epstein’s victims have demanded that the prince answer questions from the U.S. authorities investigating the late financier.