Duke agrees to drop trade envoy role
Speculation is mounting that Andrew will give up the post following the intense scrutiny he faced earlier this year over his relationships with a series of controversial figures, including a convicted paedophile.
The Duke has been dogged by accusations of a lack of judgment about his links with American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
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Hide AdFurther doubts were raised about Andrew’s position in the wake of media coverage about him entertaining the son-in-law of ousted Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali at Buckingham Palace.
Andrew also held a meeting with Libya’s embattled leader Colonel Gaddafi while on a private visit to Tunisia in 2008.
But as the criticism mounted in March, he received the backing of Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne.