Prince Andrew has sensationally settled his lawsuit over accusations he raped a 17-year-old girl.
The Royal reached an out-of-court settlement in New York with Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she had sex with the prince three times in the UK and U.S. after being trafficked by her former employer Jeffrey Epstein, who she claimed kept her as a “sex slave”.
Andrew has always denied all charges against him and the settlement means he will not legally admit to any wrongdoing.
However, the fallout from the scandal saw him stripped of all his titles and forced to step away from the Royal family.
Andrew has always said he couldn’t even remember meeting Virginia, despite a 2001 photo taken by Epstein – who died awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges three years ago – showing him with his arm around her.
In a statement submitted to the court, lawyers for Andrew wrote: “Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights.”
“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.”
“Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors.”
The amount of the settlement has not been disclosed but sources said it could be as much as $20m.
