David Cameron has given his full backing to the Duke of York in his role as a UK trade envoy, hours after No 10 sources questioned the prince's future.

[...]

His [Prince Andrew] friendship with Mr Epstein, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution, has been the source of an increasing number of newspaper stories and media questions.

His judgement has also been questioned for holding meetings with Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif and for entertaining the son-in-law of Tunisia's ousted president at Buckingham Palace.

BBC political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue said a Downing Street source had conceded one more serious story could make the prince's role untenable.

His judgement has also been questioned for holding meetings with Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif and for entertaining the son-in-law of Tunisia's ousted president at Buckingham Palace.

Former Labour minister Ben Bradshaw criticised the government's handling of the row and the anonymous way Downing Street had commented on the story.

He told the BBC: "The prime minister should get a grip. It's simply unacceptable... for this drip-feed to be encouraged by No 10 in these anonymous briefings while at the same time saying officially 'Oh, he's secure in his position, there's nothing we can do'."

As a trade envoy that goes where the government of the day advises he can go any meeting must have the tacit approval of that government.

To be fair to prince tw4t, how is he supposed to know if one of his friends is a bit of a deviant behind closed doors?

So just what is he up to?

Wildside theory : He thinks that after his mother finally pops her clogs there will be so little enthusiasm for his big brother to take the throne that it may possibly lead to a republican movement in the UK finally gaining a strong following. As a result his family may suddenly be quite a lot less wealthy than they were before. Not poor by any means, but just 'rich' instead of 'ludicrously rich' and without any great influence on anyone. In preparation for that event he's doing everything he can to get himself a great fat swiss bank account that will allow him to continue living in the standard to which he has become accustomed.

Jon

Does nobody else find it disturbing that a reputation can be destroyed by the media simply by someone associating with a criminal? Has Prince Andrew personally done anything wrong? No. But he's famous and royal and therefore a fair target. However, simply meeting with a persona non grata is enough to make anyone the devil himself.

Oh, let's not forgot that the anti sexism laws that have been pushed and supported throughout the land also seem not to apply as women born into the family who have to wait behind all the males before they can be crowned.

You cant blame the Royals for something that requires an act of parliment to change. If the Government wished to change the succession laws they can, regardless of what the Royals think of it.

Mind you in a democracy why one gene pool is treated as special is also beyond me.

I see the big flaw in your reasoning. You appear to think we live in a democracy, where the will of the people actually matters

You cant blame the Royals for something that requires an act of parliment to change. If the Government wished to change the succession laws they can, regardless of what the Royals think of it.