Daily Mail: Queen sacks Prince Andrew: Monarch summons distraught Duke of York to Buckingham Palace, orders him to step down from public duties and strips him of £249,000 'salary' amid fall-out from his friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein
* EXCLUSIVE: 'Distraught' Duke of York summoned to Buckingham Palace by the Queen and told to stand down
* Monarch's decisive move came after months of worsening headlines over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein
* Andrew visited convicted paedophile Epstein, who killed himself in August, even after his release from prison
* Duke tried to address the scandal in BBC interview but it was described as a 'car crash' and fanned flames
* Charities began deserting the Royal and Queen acted amid fears the scandal would engulf the whole family
* Andrew put out statement at 6pm yesterday saying: 'I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future and she has agreed.'
* He expressed sympathy for Epstein's victims and has consistently and strongly denied any legal wrongdoing
* The Prince also said he would be willing to cooperate with any police investigation into Epstein, who was on remand in New York accused of sex trafficking offences when he died
The Queen has effectively sacked Prince Andrew from Royal duties after discussing the Epstein scandal with Charles and summoning the distraught Duke of York to Buckingham Palace to learn his fate.
The Monarch took decisive action to contain the fall-out from the duke's disastrous Newsnight interview about his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Last night the duke issued a statement confirming he was, with his mother's permission, 'stepping down' from public duties. He will lose his £249,000 annual income from the Sovereign Grant as a result.
The TV interview triggered days of catastrophic headlines and caused a string of businesses and charities to desert him.
Following lengthy discussions with the Prince of Wales, who is touring New Zealand, the Queen summoned Andrew to Buckingham Palace and told him to step down.
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WNU Editor: What a train wreck (i.e. Prince Andrew). I feel sorry for his mom, and for his victims.
