LONDON — Britain’s Prince Andrew announced on Wednesday that he will “step back” from public duties, citing the “major disruption” caused by the renewed focus on his relationship with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew, 59, said he will “step back from public duties for the foreseeable future” after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, agreed to the move.

“It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support,” he said in a statement.

“I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein,” Andrew added. “His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathize with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure.”

Andrew has been heavily criticized after what a leading publicist called a “car crash” BBC interview late Saturday to discuss his links to Epstein and allegations from a U.S. woman who said she was forced to have sex three times with Andrew, including when she was 17.

Andrew told the BBC he had fist met Epstein in 1999, but the broadcaster on Wednesday said it had obtained a letter in which he mentioned knowing Epstein since the early 1990s.

Amid growing pressure earlier Wednesday, Telecom giant BT said it planned to review its support for the iDEA digital skills program, suggesting it may extend its backing if Andrew stepped down from his role as patron of the organization.

BT said it had been “working with (iDEA) since its launch in 2017 and our dealings have been with its executive directors not its patron (Andrew).”

“As a leading provider of online digital skills training, iDEA was a natural partner for our new Skills for Tomorrow program,” it said.

“However, in light of recent developments we are reviewing our relationship with the organization and hope that we might be able to work further with them, in the event of a change in their patronage.”

BT’s decision followed Standard Chartered Bank, KPMG and other firms announcing reviews of their sponsorship of a networking programme founded by Andrew.

The students’ union at the University of Huddersfield said it passed a motion on Monday to “lobby Prince Andrew to resign as university chancellor.”

Several other universities in Britain and Australia were reportedly reviewing Andrew’s involvement.

A former government adviser also accused Andrew of using a racial slur during a discussion of the role of Britain’s international trade department in 2012.

Rohan Silva, who was then working in former Prime Minister David Cameron’s office, wrote in Monday’s Evening Standard newspaper that he left Buckingham Palace “reeling at the prince’s use of language.”

Buckingham Palace sources denied that Andrew had used the expression