SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

The Yorks

The Duke of York’s right-hand woman loses her job

After the disastrous Newsnight interview, the Duke of York’s loyal right-hand woman, Amanda Thirsk, has lost her job as an aide to the royal. She was instrumental in setting up the interview that has left more questions than answers and forced the Duke to retire from public duties for the foreseeable future.

She has now been moved over to running Pitch@Palace and Duke of York Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (IDEA) where she will serve as chief executive, according to The Sun.

Prince Andrew fired Thirsk, who worked for him for 15 years, as his private secretary at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. She has refused to comment.

Buckingham Palace also refused to comment, arguing that these were private staffing matters.

It appears Her Majesty had a hand in it, as a source told The Sun, “It’s been a very grim 24 hours for Andrew. But it got even worse yesterday because he had to break the news to Amanda that The Queen will not continue to fund her role as private secretary.

“There is a genuine fury because she was the driving force behind the Newsnight interview and the person that arranged for it to be filmed at Buckingham Palace.”

The Duke of York has been forced out of royal duties due to his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who was set to go on trial for the sex trafficking of minors before he died in his jail cell in August. His death was ruled a suicide, but that has been disputed by Epstein’s legal team and others.

On Wednesday, Buckingham Palace released a statement saying that the Duke of York was to step back from royal duties for the foreseeable future after the Duke had discussions with his mother, The Queen.

About author

Brittani is from Tennessee, USA. She is a political scientist and historian after graduating with a degree in the topics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in December 2014. She also holds a master's degree from Northeastern University. She enjoys reading and researching all things regarding the royals of the world. She's been researching, reading, and writing on royalty for over a decade. She became Europe Editor in October 2016, and then Deputy Editor in January 2019, and has been featured on several podcasts, radio shows, news broadcasts and websites including Global News Canada, ABC News Australia, WION India and BBC World News.