Britain’s Prince Andrew has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, who said she was sexually trafficked to the British royal by the financier Jeffrey Epstein when she was 17.
A court filing in New York Tuesday describes the agreement. This avoids further embarrassment of the monarchy. While the deal requires the prince to make substantial donations to the charity accused, he also states that he did not intend to mislead her character.
Giuffre’s attorney David Boies informed New York Judge that there had been a principle settlement and both lawyers will ask for a dismissal within one month.
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Andrew’s lawyer did not respond to his message immediately.
Boies signed a letter requesting that the judge suspend deadlines to allow all attorneys to put the case in hold.
Andrew was sued in August by Giuffre. American representative Giuffre sued Andrew in August. She claimed that the British queen had abused her sexually while on holiday with Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew has strenuously denied Giuffre’s allegations and attempted to get the lawsuit tossed.
Continue reading: ‘Only One of Us Is Telling the Truth.’ The Biggest Moments From Prince Andrew Accuser Virginia Giuffre’s BBC Interview
Attached to the letter by Boies was a statement that read: “Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms. Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed).
“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.”
According to the statement, Prince Andrew acknowledged that Epstein trafficked “countless young girls” over many years and said the prince “regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.”
As a sign of his sorrow, he also promised to help victims of sextrafficking.
Continue reading: Prince Andrew Says He Doesn’t Regret His ‘Very Useful’ Relationship With Jeffrey Epstein
The tentative settlement comes weeks after Judge Lewis A. Kaplan last month rejected the prince’s attempt to win an early dismissal of the lawsuit, meaning depositions and other evidence gathering could commence.
After Kaplan ruled, Andrew — who had already stepped back from royal duties—was stripped of his honorary military titles and roles and leadership of various charities, known as royal patronages. He also can no longer use the title “his royal highness″ in official settings.
It was done in an attempt to shield the House of Windsor, who could be subject to years of scandalous headlines should the suit move forward.
“With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen,” the palace said, using the prince’s formal title. “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
The move came after more than 150 veterans and serving members of the armed forces asked the queen to strip her second son of his military titles, saying he had failed to live up to the “very highest standards of probity, honesty and honorable conduct” that are expected of British officers.
Giuffre asserted that she met Andrew while she traveled frequently with Epstein between 2000 and 2002, when her lawyers maintain she was “on call for Epstein for sexual purposes” and was “lent out to other powerful men,” including Andrew. She still experiences significant emotional and psychological harm and distress, according to the suit.
Andrew repeatedly denied Giuffre’s allegations and has said he can’t recall ever meeting her.
Andrew spent two decades in the Royal Navy, serving as a pilot on helicopters during the 1982 Falklands War. Many honorary military titles he had to give up included his title of colonel-in chief of Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment.
His concerns over his connections with Epstein the U.S. financial who killed his life in 2019 at the Manhattan federal jail while waiting for trial for child sex traficking charges, have been a constant battle. Epstein’s longtime companion Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of related charges last month.
Unless they make it public, the Associated Press doesn’t usually identify victims of sexual assault. Giuffre did.
—Associated Press Writer Danica Kirka reported from London.
