PRINCE Andrew has sensationally settled his sex abuse lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre – sparing him a humiliating court battle.
The disgraced Duke was on a collision course with the sex trafficking victim over claims he raped and abused her when she was 17.
Who Is Prince Andrew?
Prince Andrew, Duke of York, KG, GCVO, CD (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British royal family. The third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Andrew is ninth in the line of succession to the British throne.
Andrew served in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot and instructor and as the captain of a warship. During the Falklands War, he flew on multiple missions including anti-surface warfare, casualty evacuation, and Exocet missile decoy.
In 1986, he married Sarah Ferguson and was created Duke of York. They have two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Their marriage, separation in 1992, and divorce in 1996 attracted extensive media coverage. Andrew served as the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment for 10 years until July 2011.
PRINCE Andrew and Virginia Giuffre Sex Abuse Explored
Andrew and Virginia had been due to put the shocking allegations to a jury trial in a court showdown.
And the Duke was just weeks away from being deposed by Virginia’s lawyers in a two-day grilling in London.
The allegations have seen the Royal Family shaken to its foundations as the Duke was stripped of his titles and banished from public life.
Repeatedly and strongly denying all the claims against him, Andrew had seemed ready to take the case for a high profile court battle in the US.
He was facing a gruelling legal clash which could have probed claims such as he could not sweat and that he was actually in a Pizza Express.
And the surprise settlement, just days before Andrew’s 62nd birthday, leaves many questions unanswered over Virginia’s allegations.
The sum of money agreed between the two parties may never be released, but had been speculated to be up to £14million.
US attorney David Boies, who represents Giuffre, said in the filing in a Manhattan federal court that lawyers on both sides were informing the judge that they had agreed a settlement in principle.
And he added they will request a dismissal of the lawsuit within a month.
Meanwhile, the letter said that the judge should suspend all deadlines and hold the action in abeyance.
The American accused the Duke of sexually abusing her when she was 17 while she traveled with Andrew’s paedo pals Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Court documents show the Duke will make a “substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights”.