Prince Andrew, the troubled brother of King Charles, looks set to make his return to working life after years in the shadows due to his controversial relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
According to reports in the British press, the Duke of York is about to return to work, and not just in any old way.
Before being removed from the royal family, Andrew had a project called Pitch@Palace, which served as a bridge between entrepreneurs and investors.
This program had its offices at Buckingham Palace and organized events at that iconic venue. However, it all fell apart after his infamous interview on Newsnight, where he tried to defend himself in the middle of the Epstein scandal.
Since then, Pitch@Palace faded away along with his royal duties, and the prince was relegated to the background.
What is Prince Andrew’s new job?
Now, a Dutch startup accelerator called Startupbootcamp has decided to give Prince Andrew a second chance. They believe that the network of contacts the Duke of York accumulated during his time as a royal has interesting value.
So they have convinced him to “reboot” that network, in exchange for commissions on the deals they achieve.
According to The Times, this collaboration has already come to fruition with a conference in Japan, marking the prince’s first royal job in five years.
The idea is that each deal that closes thanks to their work will bring commissions to the prince, which, according to The Sun, could be “potentially millions.”
Although Buckingham Palace has not commented on this new direction for Andrew, neither has it shown any opposition, which leaves the door open to his return to the business world.
However, all is not rosy. Andrew has been facing financial difficulties since his brother Charles cut off his Crown stipends.
He lives at the Royal Lodge, where he has to pay rent and cover necessary renovations. So, in part, this new role as a global commissionaire is also an answer to his need for financial stability.
Prince Andrew is trying to rise from the ashes, and while his return to working life is full of nuances, it seems he is ready to tap into his network again. Only time will tell how he fares in this new phase.