Relieved Prince Andrew makes first official appearance since he was accused of having sex with under-age girl days after lurid claims were thrown out

• Andrew has made his first official visit since sex claims were thrown out
• The Duke visited the AkzoNobel paint factory in Slough, Berkshire
• Appeared visibly relieved and was on noticeably cheerful form
• Claims were thrown out by judge Kenneth Marra last Wednesday
• Virginia Roberts claimed she had been forced to have sex with the Duke
• Andrew has always vehemently denied the allegations are true 

By Ruth Styles for MailOnline

Published: 10:25 EST, 13 April 2015 | Updated: 12:41 EST, 13 April 2015

The Duke of York has made his first public appearance since lurid sex claims made about him were struck off the public record by a Florida judge.

A visibly relieved Andrew was visiting the offices of AkzoNobel, a paint firm based in Slough, and smiled broadly as he chatted to employees.

The 55-year-old, who was at the factory as part of his work with the Outward Bound Trust, has always denied that he had any sort of relationship with Virginia Roberts.

Relieved: The Duke of York made his first public appearance since sex claims against him were thrown out

Today, it was business as usual for the royal, who arrived in a chauffeur-driven racing green Bentley and was shown products from AkzoNobel's best-known range, Dulux Paints.

The Duke also spent 40 minutes in a private meeting with Matt Pullen, the company's UK managing director, and other senior staff members.

The trip to Slough comes less than five days after claims that Andrew had sex with an under-age teenager were removed from civil court records following a federal judge’s ruling.

The allegations were made by Miss Roberts, now 31, who had claimed she was the sex slave of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein - a former friend of Andrew's.

Prince Andrew has always vehemently denied the claims - as has Buckingham Palace which took the unprecedented step of issuing a denial shortly after the allegations came to light.

Smiling: A visibly relieved Andrew could barely keep the smile off his face during the visit to Slough

Denied: The Duke has always denied the lurid accusations made by Virginia Roberts, now 31

Speaking after his meeting with the Duke, Mr Pullen brushed off suggestions that his company might by tarnished by association with Andrew and instead emphasised the 'fantastic relationship' between the two. 

'To be honest this is a long-standing engagement and he’s the patron of the Outward Bound Trust, who we have a fantastic relationship with,' said Mr Pullen, adding: 'It's great to have him here.'

The allegations were part of submissions made by lawyers acting for Miss Roberts, who wanted to join an existing civil lawsuit.

It was launched by two women, also alleged Epstein victims, against US federal prosecutors’ handling of the financier’s conviction for a sex offence.

He was sentenced to 18 months in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution but lawyers for the women claim a secret plea deal he struck with prosecutors, granting him and any potential co-conspirators immunity from further prosecution, violated their clients’ rights.

Listening in: Prince Andrew used the visit to meet senior staff at paint firm AkzoNobel

Shown around: Andrew was shown many of the firm's products, including their Dulux paint range

Speaking out: Andrew used the occasion to make a speech about the Outward Bound Trust

US District Judge Kenneth Marra refused Ms Roberts permission to join the lawsuit, and said in his written judgement that the sex abuse details had no bearing on the lawsuit’s goal of reopening the Epstein non-prosecution agreement.

During the visit to Slough, the Duke was told about the research project AkzoNobel staff are conducting in a bit to find effective ways of using colour to enhance the learning environment for children in schools.

Along with Dulux, the firm produces paint under the Cuprinol and Hammerite brands, as well as performance coatings for F1 McLaren cars and supertankers.

It has also long been involved with the Outward Bound Trust, on whose board the Duke of York sits, and has raised more than £1m for the charity.

The charity aims to boost the life skills and confidence of young people via outdoor activities.

In a speech to AkzoNobel staff, Andrew highlighted the importance of the trust’s work: 'We need to encourage young people today, to understand there is a need for leadership and there is a need for teamwork and that’s different to management,' he said.

'This is about actually encouraging young people to recognise they have more in them then they ever realised before.' 

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