Prince Andrew has reached an out-of-court settlement with accuser Virginia Giuffre who claims she was trafficked by the notorious serial abuser Jeffrey Epstein and forced to have sex with the disgraced royal when she was just 17.
Financial terms of the settlement, which was announced in a federal court filing in Manhattan on Tuesday, were kept confidential, the New York Times reports.
The Settlement Also Includes a Promise from Prince Andrew to Donate to a Charity in Support of ‘Victims’ Rights.’
“Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights,” a document obtained by the NYT reads. “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,” the document also states. “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 the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.”
Prince Andrew’s representatives in the UK were reached for comment but provided no further comment at this time.
As Mamas Uncut reported in January, Andrew’s attorneys unsuccessfully argued for dismissal of the case after it was revealed that Epstein had reached a $500,000 settlement with Giuffre, in which she agreed not to sue any other “potential defendant.” A judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York refused to grant dismissal.
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The lawsuit by Ms. Giuffre thrust the royals into chaos at a time when Queen Elizabeth was marking her 70th year on the throne. Andrew was forced to relinquish his military titles and official charities. Further, he could no longer use the title “His Royal Highness,” and was “not to undertake any public duties,” Buckingham Palace said in a release at the time.
In the lawsuit brought by Virginia Guiffre, she claimed that she was sexually abused at the age of 17 at both Epstein’s Manhattan mansion and his private island, Little St. James in the US Virgin Islands.
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The suit extended beyond US borders and also claimed that Andrew had sexually abused Guiffre in the home of the embroiled former partner of Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The timeline of the lawsuit filed by Guiffre was settled rather quickly, just six months after Guiffre filed it and one month after the judge denied dismissal.
Andrew, now 61, is expected to retain his title as the Duke of York and keep his place in the line of succession to the throne, which is currently ninth behind Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s two children.
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