Prince Andrew, the British royal under intense scrutiny for his decades-long friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has announced that he will be pulling back from public duties.
Through a statement released on Wednesday, November 20, the Duke of York said that the association "has become a major disruption to my family's work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support."
His statement comes just days after a controversial interview in which he denied allegations that he had sex with an underaged woman who said she had been trafficked by Epstein.
Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, is eighth in line to the British throne.

Prince Andrew was born February 19, 1960, as the second son to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
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Prince Andrew sits on his father's lap during a holiday in Scotland in September 1960. At left is his sister, Princess Anne. At right, next to the Queen, is his brother Prince Charles.
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The royal family poses for photos in 1968. Prince Andrew is at bottom right. He is joined by his parents and his three siblings, including his younger brother, Prince Edward.
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The Queen looks at a photo album with Andrew, left, and Edward in 1971.
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From left, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew attend an equestrian event in 1972.
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Prince Andrew is photographed on his 18th birthday in 1978.
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Prince Andrew receives a Green Beret award at an event in 1980. He served in the British Royal Navy for 22 years and was a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War.
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Prince Andrew is second from right in this photo taken at the 1981 wedding of his brother Prince Charles.
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Prince Andrew poses next to a helicopter in 1982.
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Girls line up to give flowers to Prince Andrew as he arrives in Portsmouth, England, for an event in 1983.
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The prince is face to face with a cow during a royal tour of Canada in 1985.
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In July 1986, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson. They were the ultimate "It" couple of the late 1980s. Their wedding drew a TV audience of hundreds of millions.
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Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, visit Canada in 1987. Ferguson, a commoner, was said to bring a breath of fresh air to the royal family.
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The Duke and Duchess of York pose during their Canadian holiday in 1987.
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The couple holds their first child, Beatrice, in 1988. They had two children together before their high-profile divorce in 1996.
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Prince Andrew holds hands with his two daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, after arriving for a dinner in London in 1997.
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The prince lines up a putt during a celebrity golf tournament in 1998.
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Prince Andrew attends a party with girlfriend Aurelia Cecil in 1999.
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Prince Andrew poses with Donald Trump and Trump's future wife, Melania, at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2000.
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The prince attends a Formula 1 party in London in 2000.
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Prince Andrew visits the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, England, in 2006.
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Prince Andrew, back left, poses with his parents and his siblings for a family photo in 2007.
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Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein walk through New York's Central Park in 2011.
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The prince was installed as chancellor of the University of Huddersfield in 2015.
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Prince Andrew and his parents watch horse racing in Epsom, England, in 2016.
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Princess Eugenie is accompanied by her father during her wedding in 2018.
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Prince Andrew talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, which took place in London in November 2019.
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