EFTA02725488.pdf

14 The Virgin Islands Daily News Prince Andrew a distraction as royal wedding approaches By CASSANDRA YINOGRAD wedding between Prince William and The Associated Press tabloid favorite Kate Middleton, his college sweetheart. LONDON — Less than two British officials have rallied to months before a fairytale wedding Andrew's defense. The foreign secre- anticipated by much of the world, tary expressed his "confidence" in Britain's royal Andrew on Sunday, and a U.K. trade family finds itself official voiced support for the prince fighting an incon- to remain in the position, saying he venient distrac- does a "very valuable job." tion: revelations But pressure is mounting and there that Prince is growing speculation over how long Andrew, the Andrew can hang on to his post. queen's second Since becoming a special trade son, is friends representative in 2001, Andrew has with a convicted drawn criticism for reportedly taking sex offender, was Prince lavish trips in his role as an unpaid photographed with Andrew trade ambassador. a teenage prosti- The latest revelations in the British tute, and has been accused of ties to media have centered on Andrew's Moammar Gadhafi's Libyan regime. friendship with convicted pedophile The Duke of York also hosted the Jeffrey Epstein. son of the Tunisian dictator shortly Photos recently published in the before a popular uprising drove him British media show Andrew strolling from power — and the buildup of in a park with Epstein — the New embarrassment has sparked calls that York billionaire jailed for soliciting he be stripped of his role as special underage prostitutes in Florida. Most U.K. trade representative. recently, a photograph emerged Buckingham Palace is in damage showing Andrew with his arm around control mode as it attempts to keep the waist of the teenage prostitute at the public's focus on the April 29 the center of that case. EFTA_R1_02212981 EFTA02725488