Duke of York’s private secretary ends her employment at royal household

The Duke of York's private secretary Amanda Thirsk, who was seen as the driving force behind his disastrous Newsnight appearance, has formally ended her employment in the Royal Household.

Sky News reported that Ms Thirsk has reached a legal settlement, including a payment worth tens of thousands of pounds, with Buckingham Palace.

She is said to be continuing as chief executive of Pitch@Palace Global, the international arm of Andrew's project for tech enterpreneurs.

The duke stepped down from public life in November amid the scandal surrounding his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew's car crash interview with Newsnight sealed his fate when he was accused of lacking empathy for Epstein's victims and of failing to show regret over his friendship with the disgraced financier.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.