‘Toxic’ Prince Andrew ‘to retire from public duty permanently after Epstein scandal as Queen can’t see way back for him’
PRINCE Andrew could retire from royal life permanantly over his ";toxic" relationship with paedo pal Jeffrey Epstein.
The Queen reportedely "can't see a way back" for her "favourite" son and the royal family have "no plans" to review his position.
Andrew, 60, stepped back from public life last year for the "forseeable future" after his car-crash BBC Newsnight interview about his friendship with Epstein.
According to , the Duke of York had planned to make a return but his hopes appear to have been dashed.
Royal sources are said to have described him as a “busted flush” whose presence is now “toxic”.
It emerged yesteday the Queen is to pay off Andrew's £6.7million ski chalet debt to save her son further embarrassment.
Isabelle de Rouvre sold the Yorks the huge seven-bedroom lodge in Verbier for £18million in 2014 but she is now pursuing them through the courts, alleging they still owe her £6.7million.
An insider told US jet set mag Air Mail that the Queen will pay the debt herself — to avoid another scandal engulfing her son following the Epstein affair.
EPSTEIN SCANDAL
The scandal started when Epstein's alleged sex slave Virginia Roberts claims she was forced to have sex with the prince three times when she was a teenager.
Andrew has vehemently denied her claims.
He was forced to quit as a frontline royal last year and gave up the bulk of his charity committments after many patronages severed ties with him after the Newsnight interview.
But pressure has been mounting on him to renounce his military commands and allow other members of the royal family to step up.
During the interview, Andrew suggested that a photograph showing him and Ms Roberts together in the home of Maxwell was faked.
CAR-CRASH INTERVIEW
He said he had “no recollection” of meeting Ms Roberts Giuffre and claimed he was at a Pizza Express in Woking on one of the days they were meant to have had sex.
When asked whether he regretted continuing his friendship with Epstein, the prince said: “Do I regret the fact that he has quite obviously conducted himself in a manner unbecoming? Yes.”
“Unbecoming?” Miss Maitlis replied. “He was a sex offender.”
FBI and federal prosecutors in Manhattan are trying to bring justice for dozens of Epstein’s victims – by going after his alleged accomplices.
The FBI have reached out to Andrew for an interview but he claims he was prepared in November to assist US officials.
Epstein, 66, killed himself in jail last year while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking allegations – following numerous bungled probes into his conduct.
Prosecutors had accused him of sexually exploiting dozens of women and girls in New York and Florida before he hanged himself.
The Sun Online has contacted Prince Andrew for comment.