Prince Andrew Reaches Settlement With Sex Abuse Accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre; Queen to Help Son Pay
Prince Andrew has agreed to settle a sexual assault lawsuit from Virginia Roberts Giuffre but made no apology to her or admitted any guilt.
Giuffre, who was also one of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's victims, accused the Duke of York of raping her when she was a teenager.
The amount that the 61-year-old prince will pay Giuffre is confidential, the parties said in a joint statement attached to the new court filing in Manhattan on Tuesday, The New York Times reported.
The statement added that Prince Andrew plans to make a "substantial donation" to Giuffre's charity in support of the victims' rights.
The settlement comes just weeks before the Duke of York was set to sit for a deposition, in which Giuffre's lawyers would have questioned him under oath.
Prince Andrew did not make admittance to any of Giuffre's accusations against him in the statement. But he accepted that Giuffre suffered both as "an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks."
The statement further noted that the Duke of York regrets his association with Epstein and "commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others."
Giuffre said in 2020 that Andrew "should be panicking" and that the royal family needs to "be held accountable."
In January, Giuffre's lawyer said he believed she would only be interested in an out-of-court settlement if Andrew acknowledged that he had done something wrong.
Prince Andrew's Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre
Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the sex abuse allegations outlined in the suit and has not been criminally charged, The Washington Post reported.
But the prince has lost his position as a trade envoy since Virginia Roberts Giuffre accused him of sexual abuse. He also lost his status as a "senior working loyal," including his military titles and remaining patronages,
He had been patron to more than 100 charities before organizations had broken their ties over his association with Jeffrey Epstein and the allegations.
In a 2019 BBC interview, the Duke of York claimed never to have met Giuffre, implying that the picture of 17-year-old Giuffre with Prince Andrew, who has his arm around her waist, must have been fake.
Giuffre wore a midriff-exposing shirt in the photo, while British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell can be seen grinning in the background.
In her complaint filed last August 9, Giuffre alleged that the Duke of York sexually abused her while inside the home of socialite Ghislaine Maxwell in London when she was 17 years old.
She noted that Andrew abused her at least three times in London, New York, and the U.S. Virgin Islands between 2000 and 2002.
Giuffre claimed that she was forced to have sexual relations with Andrew by Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell. She said she feared "death or physical injury to herself" if she disobeyed Epstein and Maxwell's orders.
Queen Elizabeth to Help Pay for Prince Andrew Settlement
The Daily Mail disclosed that Prince Andrew would pay Virginia Roberts Giuffre at least £12 million with the help of his mother.
The outlet noted that Queen Elizabeth II would partly fund the settlement. Legal analysts and palace watchers said there is no obvious path for Andrew to return to his royal status despite settling the lawsuit.
Nick Goldstone, an attorney and the head of dispute resolution at the Ince law firm in London, noted that it looks very much like an admission of bad conduct from the prince in the court of public opinion.
Dickie Arbiter, a former Buckingham Palace spokesman, said the situation will probably bring a certain "amount of relief for the royal family." However, Arbiter added that it would not ensure that Prince Andrew's place will be restored.
READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth II Warns British Media to Stay Away From Balmoral - And Her Son Prince Andrew
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Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: Prince Andrew Reaches Settlement With Sex-Abuse Accuser Virginia Giuffre - From CBC News