Amanda Thirsk is a British business executive who served as private secretary and aide to Prince Andrew from 2004 to 2020. She became one of his closest advisors, managing his office and public engagements. In 2014, Thirsk helped launch Pitch@Palace, a business-mentorship and networking program.

After Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 arrest, Prince Andrew's past friendship with Epstein re-entered the spotlight. Thirsk was viewed as the architect of Andrew's media and reputation strategy during this crisis. In November 2019, Thirsk arranged Prince Andrew's BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, reportedly pushing for the televised interview. It backfired spectacularly, leading to widespread criticism and Andrew's withdrawal from public duties. Following the fallout, Thirsk departed her Buckingham Palace role in 2020.

Sources

BBC Newsnight: Interview with Prince Andrew (Nov. 2019); Media reporting on Prince Andrew's private office and advisors.