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University of Huddersfield backs its chancellor, Prince Andrew, following car-crash BBC interview
The University of Huddersfield has backed its chancellor Prince Andrew despite calls for the royal to resign following his interview with the BBC.
A spokesman for the university told Research Professional News it was “not going to ask him to stand down” after the interview, in which the Duke of York discussed his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. During the interview, the royal denied allegations that in 2001 he had sex with Virginia Roberts, now Virginia Giuffre, who was 17 years old at the time. Prince Andrew claimed he was at a Pizza Express restaurant in Woking on the night in question.
In a statement, the university said Prince Andrew—who became chancellor in 2015—had “long ties with the university stretching back to his first visit in 2001” and had taken a “keen interest in the work of the university”.
The spokesman added: “His enthusiasm for innovation and entrepreneurship is a natural fit with the work of the university and every year the University of Huddersfield organises The Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Awards, which are promoted across universities throughout the North of England.
“In relation to the allegations, The Palace has previously issued an emphatic denial and this was reiterated in the BBC interview with The Duke of York and we have nothing further to add.”
Huddersfield has confirmed that the Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Awards will take place next year as planned.
The University of Huddersfield’s students’ union has previously called for the royal’s resignation when, in September, students organised a petition asking him to stand down.
Emmanuel Haruna, president of Huddersfield Students’ Union told Research Professional News that following the BBC interview, a student had put forward “a motion to lobby Prince Andrew to resign as Chancellor’.
“This was already scheduled to go to a termly Student Jury which is taking place tonight at 5pm. A representative sample of the student body will discuss this idea and the outcome will be published on the students’ union website in the next couple of days,” Haruna added.
Huddersfield newspaper The Examiner also put pressure on the university by publishing a series of comments from readers asking it to “drop” Prince Andrew as chancellor.
The interventions come after Prince Andrew’s interview with the BBC’s Newsnight programme on 16 November was widely described as a “car crash” for the royal. During the interview he was grilled over his friendship with known paedophile Epstein, the New York financier who was found dead in his prison cell earlier this year.
Prince Andrew is also a fellow at the Royal Society, which has been contacted for comment following the BBC interview.