The civil lawsuit settlement between Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre leaves a burning question unanswered: Why is an innocent man paying so much money?
London – Not only journalists are asking after the out-of-court settlement in the abuse case of the plaintiff Virginia Giuffre (38) in the British royal family, whether the comparison amounts to an admission of guilt. Experts suspect there may be other reasons for the sudden settlement. The ailing royal family is spared the embarrassment of a lawsuit in the Queen’s 95th anniversary year.*
Prince Andrew: Why does he agree to a settlement if he’s innocent?
Russell Myers, Royal Editor of the Daily Mirror, suspects the royal family is “breathing a sigh of relief” that the matter will now go before a court in the United States. Queen Elizabeth II.* will probably take over part of her second son’s bill, but the unconfirmed total of almost 9 million euros should not be pocket money for Prince Andrew* (61).
But the payment is not enough. Suspected abuse of a minor will always cling to Andrew until proven innocent. It cost him titles and honors, his daughters are obviously pitied, his brother Prince Charles* (73) has openly turned away from him, the damage to the monarchy is immense. He has to live with the humiliation*.
For the British royal family, however, the step will bring calm to the eagerly awaited anniversary celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II*, which are coming up this year. They will not be overshadowed by negative process headlines. Prince Andrew himself will probably have to stay away from the celebrations.
Prince Andrew: For much of his life he was the eyesore of the royal family
In March 2001, Virginia Roberts Giuffre first revealed that the Duke of York had molested her on three counts. 21 years later, the line will probably soon be drawn under the file. A basic agreement was reached*. “The parties intend to file a settlement agreement within 30 days,” Giuffre’s attorney, David Boies, and Prince Andrew’s counsel, Andrew Brettler, said in a joint statement to New York Presiding Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.
Court documents also say ex-husband Sarah Ferguson, 62, will make “a sizeable donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights”.
Just last month, the now 38-year-old plaintiff finally managed to sue the Duke in a New York civil court for damages* in an unspecified amount. Why she is now running out of breath after so many years remains her secret. However, her lawyer says that “she was enthusiastic about the settlement modalities”. The circumstances are also unclear as to why Prince Andrew, who has always maintained his innocence and was willing to answer to a jury*, suddenly prefers to pay “silence money”.
Prince Andrew: Acknowledges Virginia Giuffre as a ‘victim of abuse’
Although the agreement did not include a formal admission of guilt or an apology from Andrew, the statement said he now accepts that Giuffre is an “abuse victim” and that he will continue his association with Jeffrey Epstein (66, †2019), who works with countless young girl acted, sorry.
Epstein, an American investment banker and convicted sex offender, and Prince Andrew allegedly met in 1999 through his friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell (60), daughter of newspaper magnate Robert Maxwell (68, †1991). Epstein died of suicide while in custody.
The prince also accepts that Roberts, now 38, has been subjected to “unfair public attacks” and that he never intended to “question her character,” the statement said.
Prince Andrew: The comparison is a great relief for the royal family
Although there has been no official statement from the palace, royal sources told the Daily Mail that the case and its continued “unnerving” impact on the royal family had been “widely discussed” among senior royals. It is a great relief for the institution.
It remains unclear whether Prince Andrew can attend the memorial service in honor of his father Prince Philip* (99, †2021) and how the relationship with the royal family will develop. But Prince Andrew shouldn’t get too hopeful. He was guilty of “inexcusable misconduct,” according to unofficial palace sources. * 24royal.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
List of rubrics: © Swen Pförtner/dpa
