Prince Andrew has settled his sex abuse case. Photo / BBC
Prince Andrew has settled his sex abuse case. Photo / BBC
In a stunning U-turn, Prince Andrew has settled out of court with his sex crime accuser Virginia Roberts.
He announced the settlement in a joint letter weeks before he would have appeared in court for a gruelling battle, reports The Sun.
Andrew is set to pay the settlement by donating to Roberts' charity, though the exact amount is not known.
The Daily Mail says Andrew will pay £7.5million ($NZ15.3m) to settle the case. Prince Charles was understood to have told Andrew that he needed to get the matter resolved before the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations began.
Here are the most shocking takeaways from the statement issued by Boies and Andrew's lawyer Andrew Brettler.
Regrets smears
The lawyers wrote: "Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms Giuffre's character", adding that she was a victim of "unfair public attacks".
His lawyers claimed in court documents last month that Roberts "may suffer from false memories". Andrew was accused of "victim-blaming" and "gaslighting" by barrister Dr Charlotte Proudman.
Previously Andrew has denied all allegations against him. Photo / Supplied
"Looking through her intimate, personal records when she would have told that person that information in the strictest confidence," she told Sky News last month.
"For that to be used, manipulated and twisted against her is likely to be harmful and extremely damaging, and probably will be traumatising."
This statement appears to express regret for that approach.
Roberts is a victim
The statement says Andrew "he accepts that [Roberts] has suffered … as an established victim of abuse."
It's the first time he has publicly acknowledged that she was abused. The Duke has previously emphatically denied all Roberts' allegations that he had sex with her as a teenager and made no public admission of guilt as part of the deal.
Epstein regret
The statement reveals that "Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others."
It's a sharp U-turn on his position in November 2019, when he was asked by Newsnight's Emily Maitlis if he regretted the friendship with Epstein.
"Now, still not and the reason being is that the people that I met and the opportunities that I was given to learn either by him or because of him were actually very useful," Andrew told Maitlis at the time.
Settlement amount is unknown
It's not known how much Andrew will pay Roberts in the settlement.
"The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed)," the statement reads.
"Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights."
Vows to 'demonstrate regret'
The letter goes on to claim that Andrew "pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims."
It's not yet clear what actions he might take in the fight against sex trafficking.
As he has been stripped of his royal titles, anything he does is likely to be carried out as a private citizen.
Sexual harm - Where to get help If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111. If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7: • Call 0800 044 334 • Text 4334 • Email support@safetotalk.nz • For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list. If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.
