On February 15, 2022, Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew, Duke of York, settled Giuffre’s civil lawsuit alleging sexual abuse when she was 17 years old — ending a legal process that had caused the most serious individual damage to any of the powerful figures associated with Jeffrey Epstein.
The Terms
The settlement agreement was filed with Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York. The terms:
- No admission: Prince Andrew made no admission of wrongdoing
- No factual findings: The case was dismissed without any judicial determination of the truth of Giuffre’s allegations
- Financial settlement: Widely reported as approximately £12 million (around $15 million USD), though the exact amount was confidential
- Charitable donation: Andrew committed to a substantial donation to Giuffre’s charity supporting trafficking victims
Prince Andrew’s Statement
Andrew issued a statement expressing “regret” for his association with Epstein and acknowledging that Epstein’s victims deserved support, without admitting to anything specific regarding Giuffre’s allegations.
Royal Consequences
Following the settlement, the consequences for Andrew were swift and severe:
- King Charles removed Andrew from all royal duties and stripped him of his military titles and royal patronages
- He was required to stop using “His Royal Highness” in any public or official capacity
- He effectively became a private individual, no longer representing the Crown
The 2009 Settlement Argument
Andrew’s legal team had spent significant effort arguing that a 2009 settlement between Giuffre and Epstein’s estate included a release of “any potential defendants” — potentially including Andrew — from claims. Judge Kaplan ruled this argument insufficient to dismiss the case, which directly precipitated the settlement.
Significance
The settlement was the closest any major named associate of Epstein came to formal legal accountability in a proceeding that involved direct civil scrutiny of alleged abuse. The substantial financial cost and royal career destruction represented the most serious individual consequences in the case beyond Maxwell’s criminal conviction.