What We Know About Prince Andrew's Settlement With Virginia Giuffre
In the past few years, Prince Andrew has had to answer for his connection to Jeffrey Epstein and Epstein's prostitution ring. Earlier this year, The Mail on Sunday reported that Virginia Roberts Giuffre launched legal action against Prince Andrew, whom she accused of sexually assaulting her when she was only 17 years old in 2001, per Daily Mail.
According to Giuffre, she was allegedly trafficked by Prince Andrew in Epstein's Manhattan mansion and other locations. Giuffre also received compensation from Epstein in 2009 as a part of a separate lawsuit. Giuffre first revealed that Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her during a 2015 defamation case she brought against Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, per Insider. However, at that time, her allegation against Prince Andrew was struck from the record by the judge who claimed that it was not pertinent to the current case at hand.
"I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and the rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but one can reclaim her life by speaking out and demanding justice," Giuffre said via her lawyers in a statement to ABC News. For his part, Prince Andrew still denies Giuffre's claim. "I've said consistently and frequently that we never had any sort of sexual contact whatever," told the BBC in a 2019 interview.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Giuffre reached an out-of-court settlement with Prince Andrew for an unknown amount of money
On Tuesday, it was revealed through a court filing that Virginia Giuffre had settled her sexual abuse lawsuit against Prince Andrew outside of the court. According to the Washington Post, the amount of money that Giuffre received from Prince Andrew is unknown. Upon receiving the money, Giuffre agreed to drop the lawsuit against Prince Andrew. "Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights," the court filing said, per CNBC. "Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others."
Despite the fact that Giuffre's lawsuit against Prince Andrew has been dropped, Queen Elizabeth's son will continue to face the consequences of his actions for years to come. In January 2022, Buckingham Palace released a statement, revealing that Prince Andrew had been stripped of his military titles and patronages. "With The Queen's approval and agreement, The Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen," a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said in a statement to Insider. "The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."
The royal family has been distancing themselves from Prince Andrew
Aside from stripping him of his military titles and patronages, the royal family has also been distancing themselves from Prince Andrew amid his trial and sexual abuse allegations. According to Us Weekly, Prince William was the one who helped Queen Elizabeth come to the decision to strip her son of his military titles and patronages. In the past few months, Prince William has been especially critical of his uncle. "Any suggestion there isn't gratitude for the institution, anything that could lead the public to think that senior members of the family aren't grateful for their position, [William thinks] is really dangerous," a source told The Sunday Times, per The Sun.
Despite the fact that Queen Elizabeth delivered this stunning blow to Prince Andrew, it was likely a tough decision for her, given the fact that Prince Andrew has long been considered her favorite son. "I think the Queen has always had a bit of a blind spot when it comes to Prince Andrew," royal expert Penny Junor told The Mirror.
Prince Andrew's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, are said to be understandably struggling to cope with their father's actions. "The Yorks are a close-knit family and this will be devastating for them," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Good to Know. "They only perform a very few royal duties. However, any expansion of their roles, which was a possibility as there are fewer senior royals and many of them are no longer young, is now impossible for the foreseeable future."