PRINCE ANDREW’S role as a trade envoy was on a knife-edge last night after Buckingham Palace cancelled his planned trip to Saudi Arabia amid fears that further revelations could cost him his job.

PRINCE ANDREW’S role as a trade envoy was on a knife-edge last night after Buckingham Palace cancelled his planned trip to Saudi Arabia amid fears that further revelations could cost him his job.
The Sunday Express has learned that the Duke of York has resigned himself to stepping down as the UK’s special representative for trade and industry if he is hit by more scandal.

His change of heart came after a meeting with the Queen in which she is understood to have expressed concerns that the controversy is overshadowing the Royal Wedding.

While she gave her favourite son her full backing at last Tuesday’s heart-to-heart, she is understood to have warned him that he will have to give up his role if there are more damaging allegations about his relationship with a convicted paedophile and links to foreign despots.

Courtiers have already put feelers out to find another role for the Duke that would enable him to step down “with dignity”.

A source close to the Prince said: “He accepts the allegations have caused problems but doesn’t want it to look like he’s been forced out.
If he has to stand down, he wants to do it with dignity
A source close to the Prince

“He believes he has done a good job for 10 years and doesn’t deserve to be humiliated. If he has to stand down, he wants to do it with dignity.”

Yesterday Buckingham Palace confirmed it was postponing the Duke’s trip to Saudi Arabia planned for this week.

He had been due to travel to the repressive oil-rich state on behalf of the Government’s business promotion arm, UK Trade & Investment, to boost defence contracts.

The visit was supposed to shore up his position as a trade envoy despite the furore surrounding his 16-year friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and links to such shady figures as Colonel Gaddafi and son Saif, arms smuggler Tarek Kaituni and President Aliyev of Azerbaijan.