Prince Andrew 'no longer president of ALVA'

The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) has confirmed that HRH The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, will no longer represent the organisation as its president.

Prince Andrew had held the role of president for exactly 20 years, having being appointed to the role in 1999.

In a short statement, ALVA said: "In light of the Duke of York’s decision not to undertake public duties for the foreseeable future, as a consequence of the issues raised in the BBC Newsnight interview, the board of ALVA confirms that His Royal Highness is now no longer its president.

"The Duke of York has been President of ALVA since 1999 and we thank him for the support he has given the Association over the last 20 years.

"It is intended that Lord Lee, our chair, will succeed HRH as president in September 2020, when Lord Lee steps down as chair, having served ALVA in that role for 30 years.

"We do not intend to make any further statements to the media about the board's decision to cease HRH's presidency of ALVA."

ALVA's members include some of the UK's most popular, iconic museums, galleries, palaces, castles, cathedrals, zoos, historic houses, heritage sites, gardens and leisure attractions.

Together, they represent more than 2,200 tourist sites, hosting in excess of 119 million domestic and overseas visitors each year – around 28 per cent of the visits made annually in the UK.