Amanda Thirsk | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 July 1965 |
| Education | St Paul's Girls' School |
| Alma mater | Selwyn College, Cambridge |
| Known for |
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Amanda Jane Thirsk LVO (born 4 July 1965) is a British courtier and business executive who served as private secretary to Prince Andrew, Duke of York from 2012 to 2020. [1] As of 2024, she works in business development at the Chinese e-commerce company JD.com. [2]
She was educated at St Paul's Girls' School and completed a law degree at Selwyn College, Cambridge in 1987. [3]
Thirsk joined the royal household in 2004, as Prince Andrew's office controller. [4] In this role she was responsible for his public and private finances. [5] She became his private secretary in 2012. [6]
Thirsk was instrumental in organising Prince Andrew's infamous 2019 Newsnight interview, [7] which received widespread negative reaction, and was described as "disastrous". [8] [9] [10] Andrew withdrew from royal duties following the interview, and Thirsk was moved from the role of private secretary, to become chief executive of Pitch@Palace. [7]
She was portrayed by Keeley Hawes in the 2024 film Scoop , [11] [12] and by Joanna Scanlan in the 2024 drama A Very Royal Scandal . [13]
The Pitch@Palace initiative was founded by Prince Andrew in 2014 to support entrepreneurs by amplifying and accelerating their business ideas. Pitch@Palace Global Limited was founded in February 2017, [14] and held in the name of Thirsk. [15] Thirsk became chief executive of Pitch@Palace in November 2019, following Andrew's withdrawal from royal duties. [7] Thirsk resigned as chief executive of Pitch@Palace in April 2020, [16] and by early 2021, ownership was transferred to Knox House Trustees (UK) Limited, a company ultimately owned by Doug Barrowman. [15]
Her husband, Jeremy, was a banker who worked as chief financial officer of Enron in Asia, and died of a heart attack in 2007, aged 46. [5]
She was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in the 2013 Birthday Honours. [17]