Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, is reportedly preparing for a new legal battle against Virginia Giuffre.
Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit in 2020, accusing Andrew of “raping and abusing her on three occasions in 2001 when she was just 17,” according to Fox News.
That case was settled in February 2022 via an out-of-court settlement reportedly to be between $3.6 and $14.8 million.
Andrew has maintained his innocence but has not found the public sympathetic or supportive. Continued whispers and the royal family repeatedly keeping the disgraced prince at arm’s length have prompted Andrew to seek vindication in court.
Accordingly, Andrew is reportedly assembling a $12 million fund to launch a legal case against Giuffre. His reported goals are to be exonerated of wrongdoing by the court and to force Giuffre to retract her allegations and publicly apologize.
An unnamed source close to the royal family told The Sun:
“Andrew has always insisted he is innocent and finally wants to prove it in a US court. He was pressured into settling the case to avoid overshadowing the Platinum Jubilee and has paid a heavy price, personally and professionally.”
The source added that King Charles III is “happy for him to pursue this. As Head of State, he can’t back him publicly,” the source said, “but Andrew is still his brother, and he wants the best for him.”
The strength of Giuffre’s claims against Andrew reportedly diminished after she retracted, in court, claims that the famed American attorney Alan Dershowitz sexually assaulted her, saying she “may have made a mistake.” That statement led the judge to dismiss the case.
In the wake of the scandal, the late Queen Elizabeth II stripped Andrew of his military titles and ordered him not to use his HRH title. Many believe the prince is moving forward with new legal action against Giuffre in the hope his titles and duties are reinstated.
Convicted and imprisoned Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence in prison for her role in sexually exploiting and abusing multiple minor females, has become an unlikely ally for Prince Andrew.
In an advance look at an upcoming interview from behind bars, scheduled to air on TalkTV on Monday, Maxwell reportedly claims that an infamous photo depicting Prince Andrew and Giuffre at her London home in 2001 is a “fake.” Maxwell also shares she has “no memory” of introducing Giuffre to Andrew, contrary to Giuffre’s assertions.
The Duke of York is reportedly funding the new legal action from the sale of a Swiss chalet and inheritance left to him by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.
