Prince Andrew has reached an out-of-court settlement regarding a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by accuser Virginia Giuffre last year. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights,” read a notice of settlement from Giuffre’s lawyer, David Bois, which said it was on behalf of both parties.
“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 continued.
“It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years,” the notice filed Tuesday said, adding that “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.”
The notice also said those involved would ask within 30 days for the case to be dismissed.
Giuffre accused the Duke of York of sexually assaulting and abusing her when she was a minor in the early 2000s.
She filed a lawsuit against Andrew in August 2021 regarding the claims, which also stated that Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, trafficked her to the duke.
Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegations over the years. A UK representative for Andrew told HuffPost he had no comment “beyond the statement filed on the court docket.”
The prince stepped back from royal duties for the “foreseeable future” in 2019, after a disastrous interview with BBC “Newsnight.”
He was later stripped of his military titles and royal patronages in January 2022, a move that was supported by Queen Elizabeth and Andrew himself.
“With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen,” the statement from Buckingham Palace said last month. “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
The statement came just one day after a federal judge in New York denied Andrew’s motion to drop the civil case against him.
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