London (CNN) It should have been a day of joy for Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, who were marking their 72nd wedding anniversary. Instead, Wednesday culminated in the 93-year-old monarch sanctioning her second son's retreat from royal duties, after a disastrous interview about his friendship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein engulfed the family in an unprecedented crisis.

Prince Andrew's lack of regret over associating with a convicted sex offender was one thing, but it was his apparent lack of empathy for the victims that has drawn the most criticism . The onslaught from the British media was unrelenting, while numerous organizations distanced themselves from the prince and his charitable efforts.

The situation was clearly intolerable for Buckingham Palace. Prince Andrew, whose official title is the Duke of York, was pictured arriving at the Queen's residence on Tuesday, and by Wednesday evening, he was out of a job.

In what amounted to a resignation statement, the duke was decidedly more contrite than in his BBC interview of a few days earlier. Notably, Andrew added that he was "willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required." So far, no formal requests have been made by US authorities but if they come, they will provide the next chapter in this sorry royal saga.

The decision to "step aside" was presented as the duke's. A royal source said that the Queen had been involved in the discussions, as well as his brother Prince Charles, the heir to the throne. The source told CNN that the outcome was regarded as the best way forward because nothing was more important than the institution of the monarchy itself. The implication: That he had become a liability and had to go.

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