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By Estelle Shirbon and Carolyn Cohn
LONDON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - A scheme for entrepreneurs
founded by Prince Andrew has taken down the logos of its
corporate sponsors from its website, as firms and charities
distance themselves from the British royal over a sex scandal.
Andrew, Queen Elizabeth's second son, denies an allegation
that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl procured for him by his
friend Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in a U.S. prison in
August while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The scandal has escalated since Andrew's rambling denials
and explanations in a disastrous TV interview aired on Saturday
left many viewers incredulous, and his apparent lack of
compassion for Epstein's victims drew widespread condemnation.
The "supporters" page on the website of Andrew's
Pitch@Palace programme, which is intended as a platform to boost
the work of entrepreneurs, was no longer available on Tuesday.
Cached versions of the page, saved in June this year, showed
it carried the logos of brands including KPMG, AstraZeneca,
Barclays, Cisco, Standard Chartered and Bosch.
Pitch@Palace did not immediately respond to an emailed
request for comment.
Insurance broker AON confirmed it had asked Pitch@Palace to
remove its logo from the website. A spokesman said the logo had
been placed on the site in error, as AON had no connection to
the scheme.
KPMG, which was listed as a "founding partner" on the old
supporters page, ended its sponsorship of Pitch@Palace on Oct.
31. Several national media in Britain reported the decision was
linked to adverse publicity around Andrew at that time. A KPMG
spokesman declined to comment.
A spokesman for AstraZeneca said the company's three-year
partnership with Pitch@Palace was due to expire at the end of
the year and was being reviewed.
Separately, British charity The Outward Bound Trust has
called a board meeting this week to discuss Andrew's patronage,
a spokeswoman said. Other non-profit organisations are having
similar internal discussions, British media said.
In Britain, royal patronage is usually considered an honour
and a boost for charities.
(Editing by Timothy Heritage)
