Prince Andrew has reached an out of court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, a victim of Jeffrey Epstein who accused the royal of raping her three times when she was 17.
In paperwork submitted to the court on behalf of both sides, Giuffre’s lawyer David Boies said “the parties reached a settlement in principle,” without disclosing the financial terms of the agreement. He asked for all deadlines to be suspended in the meantime.
The pair’s legal teams said that Andrew will make a “substantial” donation to Giuffre’s charity for victims’ rights. MailOnline said a “senior palace source” described the settlement as being around $10 million, adding it would be paid for by the sale of his Swiss chalet.
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“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 the result of unfair public attacks,” the joint statement read. “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. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.”
The conclusion of the case in an out of court settlement should come as a relief to the royal family, which had feared a constant onslaught of damaging headlines in the queen’s jubilee year. She recently marked 70 years on the throne and the British summer will be dominated by ceremonial events.
News of the settlement emerged on the same day that The Daily Beast revealed that Giuffre had lost the original copy of the photograph showing Andrew with his arm around her waist, allegedly taken in Ghislaine Maxwell’s flat.
Andrew has always said he has no recollection of ever even meeting Giuffre and sought to cast doubt on the picture’s authenticity.
While the terms of the settlement remain secret for now, the case is likely to have cost Andrew millions of dollars in legal fees alone.
It has also destroyed his reputation and seen him ejected from the royal family. The queen said in a statement last month that he was being removed from all royal roles and duties and would be fighting the case as a “private citizen.”
He has not been formally stripped of his HRH title but has been asked not to use it. A similar formula was applied to Meghan and Harry when they left the royal family.
Rachel Fiset, a senior partner at law firm Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman, who is not affiliated with the case, told The Daily Beast that settling the case “was by far the most prudent course for Andrew.”
“Factually, and regardless of the outcome, the most salacious facts of his life were going to be set forth throughout discovery and a trial,” she said. “Financially, defending the case would cost him millions. The risk to him on all fronts was very high. I am sure the settlement cost royal money, but now both parties can begin to put this behind them and move forward with their lives.”
