Prince Andrew’s former private secretary quits troubled Pitch@Palace
The Duke of York’s former private secretary is said to have quit her role as chief executive of his embattled Pitch@Palace initiative.
Amanda Thirsk, who served as Prince Andrew’s aide for 15 years, has resigned to take up an undisclosed role in the private sector, Sky News reported.
It comes as the initiative, which offers mentoring to entrepreneurs, prepares to rebrand as Pitch Connect.
The scheme has sought to distance itself from its royal founder after his disastrous Newsnight grilling over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Heavyweight backers including KPMG, Barclays, Bosch, Standard Chartered and Inmarsat all pulled their sponsorship of the programme amid the scandal, while a string of directors stood down.
Pitch is expected to recruit a new chief executive in the coming weeks, as well as a slate of new board members.
The scheme has built up a network of more than 1,000 entrepreneurs from 64 countries worldwide and claims to have generated more than £1.3bn in economic activity.
It is set to announce its 2020 programme in due course, with events planned in China, South Korea, the Middle East and the UK, though it is unclear how these will be affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
In January the project secured a new base at a Wework building in Victoria just minutes from its former home in Buckingham Palace.
Thirsk started working for Prince Andrew in 2004 but was sacked following his car crash interview last year.
In January she reached a settlement with the royal family worth tens of thousands of pounds.
Pitch@Palace has been contacted for comment.