The amount of the settlement, which comes in the form of a donation to Virginia Giuffre's charity supporting victims, has not been disclosed.
Prince Andrew has settled a lawsuit brought against him in by Virginia Giuffre, a woman who accused him of raping her when she was a teen victim of financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a new court filing in Manhattan said.
“Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights,” according to a joint statement by their lawyers announcing the settlement. The exact amount of the donation is confidential.
The lawsuit, which the disgraced son of Queen Elizabeth II's legal team had previously attempted to have dismissed, alleged multiple occasions of sexual abuse, including in London, New York and the U.S Virgin Islands, which Prince Andrew denied. The settlement comes just weeks before a scheduled deposition and trial.
“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 in standing up for themselves and others,” the statement read. “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.”
Epstein, 66, was found dead in 2019 in a jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in Manhattan.
Prince Andrew did not admit to any wrongdoing or to any of Giuffre’s accusations against him in the statement announcing the settlement.
After Prince Andrew lost the bid to have the lawsuit dismissed last month, Buckingham Palace distanced itself from Prince Andrew, removing him of his military title and royal patronages.
He was also barred from any future public duties, and was also stripped of using the title “His Royal Highness” in an official capacity, BBC News reported.
