Is the Queen partially funding Andrew’s settlement?
The civil sexual assault suit brought against Prince Andrew by Virginia Giuffre came to a close last week when the Duke of York agreed to pay a settlement rumoured to be around £12million. While he accepted that Virginia had suffered as a victim of abuse, he made no admission of liability and has denied the allegations throughout.
A statement from Virginia’s lawyers said it was a huge victory for the 38 year old, who had accused Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her on three occasions when she was 17. “This is a monumental win for Virginia,” her lawyer said, adding that it was a win “for everyday people... standing up against the rich and powerful”.
In a statement from Andrew’s lawyers, they said the 62 year old “regrets his association with [Jeffrey] Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors… He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking”.
There are now questions about whether the Queen will partially fund the £12m bill – £2m of which is expected to go to Virginia’s charity, Soar, which supports sexual assault victims.