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Prince Andrew has sensationally quit public life 'for the foreseeable future' due to his links with disgraced billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

In a statement released today - the 72nd wedding anniversary of the Queen and Prince Philip - the Duke of York said it had "become clear" to him that "my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work."

And he expressed sympathy for the victims of the convicted sex offender and disgraced financier, saying he "hoped they could rebuild their lives."

And he announced he was "willing" to help "any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations".

He has asked his mother, The Queen, for permission to step down after his widely-criticised TV interview with the BBC over his relationship with billionaire paedophile Epstein.

Her Majesty is said to have approved the extraordinary statement.

(Image: Getty Images)

In a statement, the Duke said: "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.

"Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.

"I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein.

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

"His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure.

"I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required."

The Queen has been snapped leaving Buckingham Palace in the last hour, after approving her second son’s statement.

His announcement comes as the fall-out from his Newsnight interview continues.

ITV Royal correspondent Chris Ship notes how Prince Andrew's statement about his friendship with Epstein differs from comments made in the interview.

He told Emily Maitlis on Saturday that he did not regret his friendship with Epstein because of "‘the opportunities I was given to learn" from him about trade and business.

But in his statement he now he talks of continuing "unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein".

On Monday it was reported that Andrew "regrets not expressing sympathy" for the victims of Epstein during the car-crash interview on Saturday night.

The Duke of York said he has "great sympathy" for the victims of the billionaire paedophile.

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The Prince suggested it hadn't seemed necessary to vocalise his sympathy for those abused by Epstein, according to the report by Mail Online.

"I regret that I didn’t make it clear in the interview that I have great sympathy for anyone who was abused by Jeffrey Epstein," he reportedly told friends yesterday.

"When I said I was shocked I thought that was implicit. In 2010 none of us had any idea of the extent of his wrongdoing."

(Image: PA)

However that appears to contradict another report in the Sun which claims a 'close friend' said the Duke told the Queen at church on Sunday 'it's all been a great success'.

Several charity partners of the Duke have split from him this week following the interview.

Firms including telecoms giant BT and bank Barclays are among a number of multimillion-pound businesses, universities and charities which have distanced themselves from the Prince.

Andrew's initiative for tech entrepreneurs, Pitch@Palace, has removed its web page listing corporate supporters, and the Outward Bound Trust, which has a long association with the royal family, is considering the duke's role as patron.

(Image: New York State Sex Offender Regi)

The Duke of York founded the mentoring programme in 2014 to help the work of start-up entrepreneurs across the UK.

The Financial Times reported that one prominent backer of Pitch@Palace is pushing for the Queen's son to relinquish his association with the scheme.

BT warned today it would only continue to back digital skills award scheme iDEA if the duke was dropped as patron.

Murdoch University in Perth, Australia told Buckingham Palace it would not be continuing participation in Pitch@Palace in 2020.

(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)

Two days ago major consultancy firm KPMG was revealed to have chosen not to renew its sponsorship of the Pitch@Palace intiative.

A source at KPMG said it "made the decision following adverse press scrutiny around Prince Andrew".

A KPMG spokesperson told the Mirror that it would not comment officially on the matter.

Epstein was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges when he died in prison earlier this year, having previously pleaded guilty to paying to have sex with a girl below the age of 18.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

The Duke is said to "deeply" regret his friendship with the financier, a source told the Mail, though he said the opposite in the 45 minute interview and actually praised the "opportunities" the relationship gave him.

"As a father, he totally condemns any exploitation of vulnerable young women," the source is quoted as saying.

The Prince has received the anonymous support from his friends the day after the interview aired.

For some, he appeared less than conciliatory during the BBC Newsnight special.

(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

At one point he described his relationship with Epstein as “seriously beneficial” because it gave him the opportunity to meet people and help prepare for a future role as a trade envoy.

The comment led Green Party co-leader Sian Berry to suggest he was “not a very empathetic interview”

The politician said: "The Me Too movement, it's thrown up so many incidents of women being exploited and abused by men in positions of power and when there are allegations like this they do need answering no matter who someone is."

She added: "It wasn't a very empathetic interview, if that's an okay thing to say, with the victims, and I think he should have been more apologetic..."

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Catherine Mayer, founder of the Women’s Equality Party, to say he was “too stupid to even pretend concern for his victims."

The Duke denied he slept with Virginia Giuffre on three separate occasions, twice while she was underage, as she alleged while under oath.

Andrew said one encounter in 2001 did not happen as he spent the day with his daughter Princess Beatrice, taking her to Pizza Express in Woking for a party.

The same alleged sexual liaison, which the American said began with the royal sweating heavily as they danced at London nightclub Tramp, was factually wrong as the duke said he had a medical condition at the time which meant he did not sweat.

Anna Rothwell, from criminal law firm Corker Binning, questioned how sensible it was for Andrew to give the interview from a legal perspective.

She said: "Prince Andrew is not entitled to any form of immunity by virtue of his position as a member of the Royal family .

"His friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is under investigation by the FBI and he is vulnerable to extradition.

"It is therefore very unwise for the prince to give any account to the media, especially one which so starkly exposes the closeness of his relationship with Epstein, and again betrays yet another appalling lack of judgment."

Andrew 'could be cut out of core royal circle when Charles becomes king'

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Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme the Duke could find himself out of the core royal family, if reports are correct that the monarchy will be slimmed down when Prince Charles becomes king.

She said: "It was a very probing interview he's not used to being questioned in that way and I think he seemed unable to really answer her questions with any conviction.

"I think myself and most other people think that the interview was a mistake.

"I think the Duke of York is very anxious to carry on with the work that he's doing, but of course he's totally smeared by this Epstein business and until that is dealt with I think he's going to find it very hard to carry on as normal.

"He will of course, because that's what people do, but I think it's always going to be in the background."

She went on to say: "I think if there's a slimmed down monarchy I very much feel Andrew won't be a huge part in it."

In October, the Swedish Royal house stripped some of its youngest members of their royal status - slimming down the monarchy in a similar fashion Charles is said to be in favour of in the UK.

The King of Sweden King Carl XVI Gustaf made the move that will see five of his grandchildren lose their HRH status and be removed from the official Royal House.

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The two sons of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia and the three children of Princess Madeleine and Chris O’Neill will no longer have any official royal role.

They will no longer perform any royal duties associated with the Head of State - nor will they be expected to.

And they won't benefit from the taxpayer-funded sum that goes to members of the Royal House.

'Echoes of Edward VIII'

Social historian Professor Judith Rowbotham compared the developments to the abdication of Edward VIII.

"I suppose the nearest would be the Duke of Windsor in some way. There are plenty of parallels there," she told the PA news agency.

"I'm far from surprised because the Duke of York was ill-advised to undertake the interview."

But the research professor at the University of Plymouth said Andrew made a wise choice by not drawing the matter out for any longer.

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"I don't think it's a monarchy in crisis. Even with a slimmed down monarchy, you have a large royal family, humanly-speaking somebody is always going to do something that gets well and truly disapproved of," she said.

"It could have escalated into a more major crisis if the Duke of York had not done the honourable thing."

Professor Rowbotham suggested the difficulties the royal family, including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, had faced in 2019 were not as bad as the Queen's annus horribilis of 1992.

"Back in 1992, it was an annus horribilis. This has been a 'few weeks horribilis'," she suggested.

She added that Andrew's decision would be one of personal sadness for the monarch.

"I think it will be a great sadness for the Queen," she said.