Why Prince Andrew will now 'never return' to public duties

According to royal sources, there are "no plans to review" Prince Andrew's retirement from public duties, following the controversy surrounding the prince and Jeffery Epstein.

The royal first stepped out of the spotlight "for the foreseeable future" following an interview with Newsnight's Emily Maitlis last year which saw the Prince end up in even more hot water.

The Duke is likely to never return to public life. Photo / Getty Images

The prince attempted to "set the record straight" about his involvement with Epstein, and strongly denied that he had sex with 17-year-old Virginia Roberts three times.

The prince has since faced a series of controversies leading sources to brand him a "busted flush" with a "toxic" presence, The Sunday Times reported.

The prince was also widely condemned for his lack of remorse over his friendship with convicted paedophile Epstein.

The interview caused several businesses and charities to cut ties with the prince and forced him to hire PR expert Mark Gallagher to deal with the fallout.

The prince was again thrust into the headlines earlier this month after £355,297 ($705,000) paid to his private secretary, Amanda Thirsk, was branded an "unauthorised trustee benefit".

Andrew is also currently in a dispute alongside his ex Sarah Ferguson over a £6 million ($11.9m) debt on their £18m ($35.7m) ski chalet in Verbier, Switzerland.

The Queen is said to now be paying the debt after a French socialite threatened to drag the case through the courts, it is claimed.