Prince Andrew to press: End false stories about daughters

LONDON – Britain’s Prince Andrew wants the media to leave his daughters alone.

The prince issued a strongly worded personal statement on Friday calling for an end to “speculation and innuendo” about his daughters, and denying reports of a feud with big brother Prince Charles.

Andrew, the third of Queen Elizabeth II’s four children, slammed recent newspaper stories that he said “have no basis in fact.”

He denied claims he has asked for royal titles to be bestowed on any future husbands of his daughters, 28-year-old Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, 26.

And he said “there is no truth to the story” of a split with Charles over his daughters’ role in the royal family.

British newspapers have reported that Andrew, whose title is Duke of York, wants his daughters to receive taxpayer-funded salaries for their royal work.

The princesses carry out royal duties part-time, but also are building careers. Eugenie works for an art gallery, while Beatrice has had jobs in the financial sector.

Andrew, 56, said he could not stand by and watch the media speculate about his daughters “based on my purported interventions, which are completely made up and an invention.”

The princesses’ mother Sarah, Duchess of York, also on Friday asked people to “stop bullying the York family.”

On a visit with her daughters to a cancer unit for teenagers, she said she was proud Beatrice and Eugenie had taken time off from their jobs for the charity visit.

“Let’s focus more on this and less on tittle-tattle gossip,” she said. “Stop bullying the York family, please.”

Britain’s royals have become increasingly willing to speak out against perceived intrusions.

Last month Prince Harry issued a statement through his office accusing the media of harassing his girlfriend, American actress Meghan Markle, and of running stories about her with “racial undertones.”