Prince Andrewhas announced that he will “step back from public dutiesfor the foreseeable future”— so how does this affect his role within the royal family?
Queen Elizabeth‘s third child released a statement on Wednesday announcing his decision to halt his royal work following hisbombshell interview with the BBCabout his ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
“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 organisations and charities that I am proud to support,” he said in the statement.
“Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”
While Prince Andrew will not perform any more public duties as a member of the royal family, not much else will change at this time.
“He remains a member of the royal family,” a royal source says. “As a royal colonel and a war veteran, you can expect to see him at Remembrance Sunday. You can expect to see him on the balcony at Trooping the Colour too.”
His decision to no longer perform public duties as a member of the royal family takes him out of the firing line and he will be hoping that it helps dampen the furor over his links with Epstein. It remains to be seen if it will stop some of the organizations that he has been associated with from continuing to cut their ties with him.
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty
Prince Andrew.
The 59-year-old royal will likely retain his title as the Duke of York and keep his place in the line of succession to the throne, which is currently eighth behind Prince Harry andMeghan Markle‘s 6-month-old son, Archie. Many family members in the line of succession are not “working” royals, such as Princess Anne’s children Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall.
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As for funds, money for working royals comes directly from the Queen’s private income from the Duchy of Lancaster, which pays for the Privy Purse. It’s unclear what will happen in the longterm, but Prince Andrew will likely continue to receive funds from his mother for the time being.
“In terms of Sovereign Grant and taxpayers’ money — he doesn’t receive any money from that and the only funding he would have gotten from that would have been for travel for public duties,” the source continues. “If he is stepping back from public duties, then there wont be anything coming from there.”
Prince Andrew.Steve Parsons – WPA Pool/Getty
BBC/Mark Harrison
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Prince Andrew initially believed that his controversial interview went “quite well.” On Sunday, Andrew accompanied his motherQueen Elizabeth, 93, to church at Windsor and is reported to have told her that he thought the interview was a success. Buckingham Palace won’t confirm conversations between members of the family, but say that she was “aware” of the interview.
According to sources, he spoke with the Queen andPrince Charlesover the past few days, and he met with the Queen on Wednesday, before the announcement was made.
“It was a personal decision,” the source says. “He discussed it with the Queen and the Prince of Wales and other members of the royal family and they support his decision.”
source: people.com
