Andrew finally settles £6.7million debt af ter Swiss ski chalet row
Duke’s ex-pal drops lawsuit, saying: The war is over
PRINCE Andrew has finally settled a £6.7million debt with the French socialite who sold him his luxury ski chalet, paving the way for him to sell it amid mounting legal bills.
Isabelle de Rouvre, who is in her mid70s, had sued the Duke of York for the millions he and his ex-wife Sarah owed for Chalet Helora in the exclusive Swiss resort of Verbier.
But she has dropped the legal action and declared yesterday: ‘The war is finished. He has paid the money.’
Miss de Rouvre had been a family friend of the Yorks when she sold them the chalet for £18million in 2014.
The couple wanted to buy it as a ‘nest egg’ for their daughters Beatrice and Eugenie and had agreed to pay for the house in two instalments.
They reportedly took out a mortgage for £13million, with the remaining £5million agreed to be paid in cash. But Miss de Rouvre claimed the Yorks failed to make the final instalment.
Initially she agreed that the payment could be deferred until December 2019 – but later accused the pair of failing to honour the agreement.
Saying she was saddened by the breakdown in trust, Miss de Rouvre took the case to the Swiss courts two years ago in an attempt to recoup the sum. And until the
‘He has paid the money’
debt – which amounted to £6.7million thanks to accrued interest – was paid, Andrew was powerless to sell.
Now, for the first time, Miss de Rouvre has confirmed that Andrew and Sarah settled up in November, saying: ‘I sold it to the Yorks and we made an agreement. That is the end of the story thankfully. The war is finished. It is the end of the matter. I have nothing to do with it now. That’s all.’
Saying that she didn’t ‘know what they are doing now’, she added: ‘They were here at Christmas but I only know that because I read it in the Press. I did not see them. So Happy Christmas and that’s that. The end.
‘They paid the money and it was done. It is closed for me. The war is over. He has paid the money... The second payment needed to be paid and that payment is now done. You can be sure that’s it.’
In 2020, the Daily Mail revealed that divorcee Miss de Rouvre was the mystery seller of the chalet – which she rented out for £22,000 a week – and was taking legal action against the Yorks.
Speaking at the time, a source close to the mother of four said that the bitter legal dispute had ‘tarnished’ her friendship with Andrew and Sarah.
They added: ‘Isabelle always loved having the Yorks to stay in their chalet and was particularly fond of their two children. So she was thrilled that the chalet, which has given her so many happy memories, was being bought by friends.
‘Sadly this dispute has ruined everything. Isabelle is deeply upset that it has come to this.’
Yesterday a friend explained that it had been a ‘hugely stressful’ time for Miss de Rouvre, saying: ‘She sold the chalet in good faith. She thought they were friends. But it all went bad.
‘She should not have been dragged into all this. It’s a relief for her that the Yorks have now paid and she can sever ties.’
Quite how Andrew – who has no discernible income – was able to raise the £6.7million he owed Miss de Rouvre is not clear.
It is believed that he has received financial support from the Queen in recent years and will also have money from investments and legacies as well as his modest naval pension.
He will also likely still have some funds from the £15million sale of his former marital home Sunninghill Park near Windsor.
Sarah and their daughters have just enjoyed a holiday together at
Chalet Helora, which boasts seven bedrooms and an indoor swimming pool. Andrew did not join them for the ten-day jaunt but is believed to have a buyer lined up for the chalet – which will free up desperately needed cash as a result of his ongoing US sex case.
He is currently being sued by Virginia Roberts, one of Jeffrey
Epstein’s most high-profile victims, who claims she was forced to have sex with the duke three times when she was 17.
Andrew has consistently denied the allegations and has now been waiting a week to find out whether an application to have the lawsuit dismissed on legal grounds has been successful.
Revealed: French socialite suing Andrew and Fergie for millions over Swiss chalet
From the Mail, May 2020