A summary of today's developments
- The Duke of York has settled the sex assault case filed against him by Virginia Giuffre for an undisclosed sum. The out-of-court settlement in the US civil case means Prince Andrew makes no admission of guilt over claims by Giuffre that he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17, allegations he has repeatedly denied.
- Lawyers for Andrew, 61, and Giuffre, 38, said the two had reached a “settlement in principle”.
- Andrew will make a “substantial donation” to Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights. International lawyers told the Guardian that the cost to Andrew was likely to be more than $10m (£7m) even before paying his own legal bill that is expected to run into millions.
- Andrew also pledged to “demonstrate his regret for his association” with the sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein, by supporting the “fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims”. He commended the “bravery of Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others”.
- The settlement was announced weeks before tbe duke was due to give a sworn deposition to Giuffre’s lawyers. It means there will be no civil trial, and he will not have to give evidence under oath or in front of a jury.
- The Duke of York must withdraw his title to show “respect” for people living in York, according to an MP for the city. Labour’s Rachael Maskell, who represents York Central, welcomed Andrew’s pledge to donate money to Giuffre’s charity but said his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein has caused “deep hurt and embarrassment” to York residents, PA reports.
Updated
Lady Victoria Hervey, who socialised with the Duke of York in the early 2000s, issued a message of support for Andrew.
She told the PA news agency: “I think Virginia’s team realised there was no substantial evidence in these accusations once the supposed original photo didn’t exist.
“The storyline was crumbling. I’m not surprised at all they wanted to settle fast.
“I hope the royal family can now focus on the upcoming jubilee celebrations and Prince Andrew can put these false allegations behind him.”
