The Duke of York has been accused of having sex with Virginia Roberts, when she was 17-years-old, who he supposedly met through the US paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The announcement he would be stepping back from his royal duties comes days after he spoke to Emily Maitlis about his relationship with convicted sex offender Epstein for BBC Newsnight and received a backlash following the interview.

Writing in the Spectator, Peter Hunt, the former royal reporter, said: “But it’s Prince Charles and his people who are increasingly pulling the strings.

“The sacking – for that is what it was – is also a reminder that the British Monarchy is a dynasty determined to survive and it doesn’t welcome debates during a General Election campaign about its merits in the 21st century.”

It is Prince Charles who will eventually take over from the Queen.

Mr Hunt said the heir to the throne would have supported the Queen’s decision to ensure Prince Andrew is taken off royal duties.

According to the Sun, Prince Andrew held crisis talks on the phone with Prince Charles who is in New Zealand on a royal tour.

A senior Palace source said to The Sun: “Charles was very involved in the decision as heir to the throne.

“He knew action had to be taken.

“The Duke knew he couldn’t fight any more.

“His royal career is over.”

SEE MORE: Royal feud: Prince Charles ‘furious’ with Andrew as tour overshadowed

He said that it is more likely that Prince Andrew is taken off royal duties “forever” and not just “for the foreseeable future”.

Mr Hunt said: “Andrew won’t have embraced his fallen destiny.

“He’ll have clung to the balustrades as he resisted. While the Queen handed him his P45, it will have been filled in by her heir, Prince Charles.”

Yesterday evening, Buckingham Palace put out a statement shortly before 6pm on Andrew’s behalf, saying: “I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”

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Lawyer Lisa Bloom, who represents five of Epstein’s alleged victims, said on BBC Radio Four: “We believe nobody is above the law and everybody should have to answer questions if they have relevant information — and he clearly does have relevant information.

“Documents should be turned over — emails, texts, calendars, phone logs, travel logs, so we can get to the bottom of this.”

Mr Hunt has also said that Prince Andrew’s children will need to increasingly focus on their day jobs rather than rely on their royal jobs.

He wrote: “His daughters, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie will have to focus exclusively on their non-royal day jobs. Their father can no longer champion their part-time royal roles.”

More than 20 major companies and charities have distanced themselves from Prince Andrew’s work since the scandal broke.

Convicted sex offender Epstein died in August while he was waiting for a trial on under-age sex trafficking charges in New York.

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