Charities linked to Prince Andrew in crisis talks as pressure to cut royal ties mounts after car-crash interview – The Sun
CHARITIES linked to Prince Andrew were yesterday deciding whether to sever ties — as big business sponsors began turning their backs on him.
Trustees of Outward Bound, one of the royals’ favourite charities which works extensively with youngsters, will hold crisis talks this week.
Children North East and The Children’s Foundation, both charities Andrew lists on his official website, refused to say if he still had their support after his car-crash TV interview on Saturday night.
Youth development charity Power2 said: “We will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
The Tall Ships Youth Trust, Seafarers’ Hospital Society and Action on Hearing Loss declined to comment.
And charities including the English National Ballet and British Deaf Association did not respond to questions about Andrew’s patronage.
The NSPCC moved to distance itself from the Prince in August.
Last night City accountancy firm KPMG said it had terminated its sponsorship of Pitch@Palace, the Prince’s Dragons Den-style initiative for young entrepreneurs.
It blamed “adverse press scrutiny” of Andrew over his friendship with US billionaire paedo Jeffrey Epstein.
A source at KPMG said: “Prince Andrew’s relationship with Epstein was a big part of the discussion, but cost was also a consideration.”
PRESSURE TO CUT ROYAL TIES
Financial services firm Aon demanded Pitch@Palace remove its logo from the website, saying it was wrongly listed as a sponsor.
Andrew founded it in 2014 and its website promises contact with CEOs, influencers, and mentors.
Other sponsors include pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, whose spokesman said: “Our three-year partnership expires at the end of this year and is being reviewed.”
Barclays would not comment and computer firm Cisco said it decided not to renew its support in April.
Meanwhile, students at Huddersfield University voted in favour of a motion to lobby Prince Andrew to resign as chancellor.
Yesterday’s Sun told how Andrew believed the interview was “a great success” — while Virginia Roberts, who claims he slept with her as a teen, called his denials “appalling”.
Last night, lawyers for Epstein’s victims told The Sun they were now working together to get Andrew quizzed under oath.
Spencer Kuvin, who represents three of the financier’s victims, said: “There was a sense of astonishment from them about the Prince Andrew interview.
“They were hit hardest by his lack of regret over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and his complete lack of empathy towards them.
CITY GIANT AXES SUPPORT
"It was hard to believe. First the system failed them and now the royals have failed them.
“Prince Andrew said he didn’t regret the friendship because this child molester was able to introduce him to some important people — that just baffled me.
“I could not understand how you could separate out that he was friendly with a man who was doing this to tens if not hundreds of girls under 18.
“He is one of a number of rich and powerful people who seem to have completely ignored that a paedophile was in their midst.”
Mr Kuvin said victims of Epstein — who killed himself in a US jail in August — were also amazed by Andrew’s admission that he had been in touch with ex-university pal Ghislaine Maxwell this year.
Maxwell is accused of procuring young girls for Epstein, as well as taking part in abuse.
Lawyers for other victims revealed plans are underway to get Andrew to sit for a formal interview in the UK with lawyers — or even the FBI.
Josh Schiller said: “This would be a sworn statement on his friendship with Epstein and if he had any knowledge of the crimes that were committed.”
He added Andrew would have to say if he had sex with any of the girls or knew Epstein’s victims were under age.
The FBI could take a statement in the UK if agents went through the correct channels and Andrew agreed.
Some victims also want police in Britain to investigate alleged offences in Maxwell’s London flat.
Cops in Paris have appealed in English for information after it was claimed Epstein abused girls as young as 12 at his apartment near the Arc de Triomphe.
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