THE Duke of York has resigned from his role as Royal Patron at the York Minster Fund after 15 years.

The Minster Fund has released a statement explaining Prince Andrew's decision to step down from the role.

The statement read: “The Duke of York has been the Royal Patron of York Minster Fund for 15 years and in this role has been very supportive of our work.

"However following his decision to step back from public life, and recognising that the Fund needs an active patron to champion its work, HRH Prince Andrew has decided to resign from this role.

"The trustees of the Fund would like to thank the Duke of York for all his work as Patron over the years."

The Prince stepped back from public duties for the "forseeable future" last month following his appearance in a controversial TV documentary.