Should tainted Duke bow out?

This belated backing will not diffuse this episode, as the Duke’s long-standing friendship with Jeffrey Epstein – an American financier and serial paedophile, whose moral decadence with under-age girls is the subject of an FBI inquiry – continues to expose the judgment of the Prince, and those advising him.

Yesterday, the Prince’s financially embattled former wife, Sarah Ferguson, admitted to a “terrible, terrible error” after accepting £15,000 from Epstein, and promised to have no more dealings with the sex offender once she has found a way to repay him.

It may – just – be possible for the Duke of York to survive this controversy if it was an isolated incident, but it is not. His associations with Saif Gaddafi, the son of the Libyan dictator, and others, continue to embarrass Buckingham Palace – as do reports about the Prince’s brusqueness.

It is this potential embarrassment to the Queen that Prince Andrew should now consider, and whether his country would be better served if stepped aside as the UK trade envoy before his input becomes counter-productive.

In the past, the Duke of York has smoothed the passage of various business deals which have created many jobs. This should not be forgotten. That said, the cost of his entourage has, on occasion, been excessive – and that both the Prince of Wales and Princess Royal have been effective ambassadors for Great Britain plc without attracting any of the baggage that travels with the Duke of York from the golf course to the boardrooms of the world.

The downside to the tainted Prince stepping aside is that it would be difficult for him to perform a public role, given the constraints on the Royal family working in the private sector, unless he could find a suitable charity – or role – to embrace in a quietly dignified way.

More revelations of ill-advised associations – or off-the-record Downing Street briefings – will make Prince Andrew’s position untenable, further reason why the Duke should now carefully consider his position.