Prince Andrew‘s BBC Newsnight interview detailed his complicated friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and saw the fractures of the pristine picture of the Royal Family. But what happened to the people behind the scenes?
Amanda Thirsk was responsible for coordinating the interview between BBC and Prince Andrew. She was the Duke’s right-hand woman and longterm private secretary, serving him from 2004 to 2020. Prince Andrew faced mounting scrutiny due to his alleged relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and the interview would serve as a way to save his public image. Prince Andrew said he “regretted” his connection to Epstein but had no memory of ever meeting Giuffre. “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever,” he said and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
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However, the interview ended up being a PR nightmare with much of the public disavowing the disgraced royal. Days later, Prince Andrew asked Queen Elizabeth to take a step back from his public royal duties. In 2022, Andrew was stripped of his military titles after a judge ruled a sexual abuse civil lawsuit against him could proceed, which he settled. “With The Queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen. The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen,” the palace said in a statement.
Where is Prince Andrew’s secretary Amanda Thirsk now?
Prince Andrew’s secretary Amanda Thirsk currently works at Chinese e-commerce venture JD.com according to SkyNews. The news site reported that “she was now involved in JD.com’s evaluation of a possible bid for [the British retailer] Currys.” The BBC claimed that she is still defending him even after she has lost her job in the wake of the Newsnight interview.
Sam McAllister wrote in his tell-all book Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews that Amanda was let go of her position after the interview. “As for Amanda Thirsk, after some prevarication, she lost her job. I really felt for her. In all of our dealings, she had been the epitome of professional.”
She received a five-figure settlement after she was let go from the Palace and her position as the director of Andrew’s venture Pitch@Palace. SkyNews also reported that the duke would continue to employ a private secretary, though the identity has never been revealed.
