In February 2022, Prince Andrew quietly resolved the high-profile civil lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, agreeing to a private out-of-court settlement that ensured the allegations of sexual abuse would never be tested in open court. The deal, filed in a New York federal court, brought an abrupt end to a case that had threatened to expose intimate details of the duke’s association with Jeffrey Epstein under oath.
Giuffre had sued Andrew in August 2021, accusing him of sexually assaulting her three times in 2001—when she was 17—at locations including Ghislaine Maxwell’s London townhouse, Epstein’s Manhattan mansion, and his private island, Little St. James. She claimed she was trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell and forced into encounters with the royal. Andrew categorically denied the allegations, insisting he had no recollection of ever meeting Giuffre and questioning the authenticity of the famous 2001 photograph showing his arm around her waist.
As the case progressed through pre-trial motions, depositions loomed, and a jury trial was scheduled for late 2022, both sides opted for settlement. A joint letter to the court announced an agreement in principle, with terms finalized weeks later. While exact figures remain confidential, reports estimated the payout at up to £12 million (approximately $16 million), funded privately through royal assets including the sale of Andrew’s Swiss chalet.
The settlement included a substantial donation to Giuffre’s charity supporting victims of trafficking. Andrew expressed regret for his association with Epstein, acknowledged the financier’s crimes, and praised the courage of Giuffre and other survivors—without, crucially, admitting any liability or wrongdoing.
The agreement permanently closed the courtroom doors. No depositions were made public, no witnesses testified, and no jury weighed the evidence. For Giuffre, who died by suicide in April 2025 at age 41, the resolution provided financial closure and validation of her broader fight against Epstein’s network. Her posthumous memoir Nobody’s Girl, published in October 2025, reiterated her allegations in unflinching detail.
For Andrew, the settlement spared further public humiliation but came at immense cost: he was stripped of military titles, royal patronages, and the style “His Royal Highness,” effectively banished from public royal life. Though legally resolved, the case continues to define his legacy, amplified by ongoing Epstein document releases.
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