Prince Andrew’s official website has been quietly taken down as pressure builds for the Royal to speak to US investigators about his links to late billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The contract with the host server of thedukeofyork.org has not been renewed after expiring, with would-be visitors to the site now redirected to Andrew’s page on the Royal Family’s official website.
His defunct website was run by his own staff and “trumpeted the Duke’s works supporting ‘British prosperity’ as well as the Queen”, The Times reports.
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The newspaper notes that the scrapping of the site is just the latest “humiliation” for the disgraced Royal, who is facing increased scrutiny following the arrest of former Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell in the US last week.
Indeed, Andrew’s web wipeout appears to be an attempt to “further remove him from the limelight”, says Tatler.
As the opening passage on the “About The Duke of York” section on the Royals’ official site explains: “In November 2019, His Royal Highness The Duke of York stepped back from his public duties for the foreseeable future.”
“Royal sources have said that there is no chance of the Duke returning to official duties,” according to Metro.
His charitable trust is also being wound up, “and his Pitch@Palace initiative has removed all references to him from its website”, the newspaper adds.
Meanwhile, Maxwell - who is said to have introduced the Duke to Epstein - was denied bail in a New York court this week after pleading not guilty to charges relating to allegations that she recruited teenage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse.
She faces up to 35 years in jail if found guilty.
