Prince Andrew will remain patron of the world’s oldest royal golf club – for now.
Bosses at the Perth Royal Golfing Society said they were “concerned” about the recent controversy surrounding the princes’s now infamous BBC interview, but stopped short of calling for a review of his patronage.
The Duke of York, who is under scrutiny for his friendship with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, is linked to 28 golf clubs and societies across the country.
He became patron of the Perth private members’ club in 1996, and visited the Atholl Crescent clubrooms several years ago.
The club, which dates back more than 200 years, launched the Duke of York Trophy in his honour.
On Thursday, hours after Prince Andrew announced he was stepping down from public duties, club secretary Paul Lewis told The Courier: “We are concerned by recent developments and we will be closely monitoring the situation.”
He declined to comment further.
The prince has come under growing pressure to resign his patronages and leadership roles, as the fall-out from his TV interview continues.
He is an honorary president at Inverness Golf Club and the Royal Montrose Golf Club. The Angus club merged with the Montrose Mercantile Club earlier this month to form the Royal Montrose Mercantile. No one was available to comment yesterday.
The Royal Perth society was formed by a small group of city men in the Salutation Hotel in April, 1824.
The club’s sixth captain was Lord Kinnaird, and it was through his connections that royal patronage was granted by King William IV in 1833. It was the first golfing society to receive such an honour.
