Prince Andrew is losing corporate support for his charitable work as companies including KPMG and Aon distance themselves from the Queen’s second son in order to protect their reputations.
Other business supporters of the Duke of York’s initiatives have told the Financial Times they are also reviewing their involvement in light of the questions raised over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and sex offender.
The Duke has for years been an active patron of entrepreneurship initiatives, including the Pitch@Palace network and the Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA). Both schemes rely on the support of partners, who range from universities and charities to big UK and Chinese corporates.
Some supporters began to reconsider their links in light of allegations that the Duke had sex with a teenager who was coerced by Epstein. The royal said the claims were “categorically untrue” in an
interview with the BBC on Saturday.
The Duke’s
widely criticised tone during the hour-long programme has amplified companies’ concerns about being associated with the royal.
Advisory firm KPMG decided against renewing its sponsorship of Pitch@Palace, which aims to support entrepreneurs, on October 31, according to people briefed on the move.