Duke of York travels to Northern Ireland for official golf tournament duties

By Tess de la Mare

The Duke of York will travel to Northern Ireland to carry out official duties at a golf tournament.

Andrew will attend Royal Portrush Golf Course in County Antrim in his role as founder of The Duke of York Young Champions Trophy.

A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said: "His Royal Highness will undertake a number of engagements related to the tournament, at which there will be 66 sportsmen and women from 35 countries.

"The duke will meet volunteers, supporters and representatives from local businesses, host the tournament dinner, attend the tournament and present prizes."

It follows two public appearances at the weekend, attending at a tournament at Royal Liverpool Golf Club to mark its 150th anniversary.

The duke, who is a patron of the club, watched amateur golfers from the US and Britain and Northern Ireland battle it out in the Walker Cup Tournament on Sunday.

It was his second public engagement in two days, as on Saturday he travelled to Bruges to mark the 75th anniversary since the liberation of the Belgian city by the Allies.

Andrew was present in his role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards and laid a wreath at the Bruges Charles II memorial.

That was his first major international event since the scandal broke over his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein was found hanged in his cell on August 10 in New York while facing fresh charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to traffic minors for sex.

Andrew has been dogged by allegations of impropriety with underage girls introduced to him by Epstein.

Buckingham Palace has issued strong denials in response to claims from a woman who said she was forced to have under-age sex with the duke.

Virginia Roberts alleged in court papers in Florida that she was forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17, which is under the age of consent in the state.

The palace has called the allegations "false and without any foundation", saying "any suggestion of impropriety with under-age minors" by the duke was "categorically untrue".

Andrew said in a statement on August 24: "At no stage during the limited time I spent with him did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to [Epstein's] arrest and conviction."