‘Utterly appalling’: Why Prince Andrew is worse for royals than Meghan and Harry

Prince Andrew will avoid court after reaching a settlement with accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, bringing worse publicity to the royal family than Megxit.

Backlash is mounting online over reports that the Queen will help Prince Andrew pay “millions of dollars” to his accuser, after both parties agreed to settle the sex abuse case against him.

The UK’s Telegraph reports that the Prince will pay Virginia Roberts Giuffre more than 12 million pounds ($A22.7 million) after court filings showed he would donate a substantial but undisclosed sum of money to a women’s charity to avoid a trial.

The report claims the Queen privately funded the Duke’s legal fight to the tune of millions of pounds, and will now partly pay for the settlement so her son, and the entire royal family, can move on from a case that had threatened to overshadow her platinum jubilee.

Buckingham Palace announced last month that the duke would be defending the case “as a private citizen” but that wouldn’t necessarily prevent the monarch from lending a financial hand.

It has been speculated that the Queen aided her son financially as a mother, rather than as head of state.

Prince Andrew has reached an out-of-court settlement in his sex abuse case. Picture: Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage

But that has still not gone down well with many who have drawn comparisons between the royal family’s treatment of Meghan and Harry – whom the palace and royal family refused to continue providing security for when they stepped down from senior roles in “Megxit”.

Meghan and Harry were also pressured to pay back the palace for renovation costs at Frogmore Cottage when they made the decision to move to the US.

but they wouldn't pay for Harry and Meghan's security https://t.co/B9OBR0Fbf9

— Louis Staples (@LouisStaples) February 15, 2022

The Queen’s spent £12m on Prince Andrew but let Harry and Meghan go on a free. She badly needs to bring a technical director in.

— Paul Watson (@paul_c_watson) February 16, 2022

Taking to Twitter, one person wrote: “Don’t know one ever say again that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dragged down the reputation of the Royal Family. Ever again.”

A second agreed: “Having a Senior member (Prince Andrew) of the Royal family settle a sexual abuse case is a FOREVER STAIN on the Royal family. Leave Meghan Markle alone.”

“What exactly has Harry done to be put in the same category as Andrew?? Oh, forgot he married Meghan who tainted the royal family!” a third person replied.

“When Harry and Meghan did an interview, the papers headlines ‘worst crisis for the RF for 85 years!’ Where are the same headlines for Andrew?” said a fourth. “Utterly appalling!”

Remember how Harry and Meghan had to become "financially independent" if they wanted to step back from royal life? https://t.co/9pyQB5SKsJ

— Jamie McKelvie (@McKelvie) February 16, 2022

Amazing isn't it. Buckingham Palace 'insiders' so very silent over Prince Andrew. All 'sources' very quiet. And yet they were so vocal about Harry and Meghan. This won't go away.

— Mark Binmore (@MarkBinmore) February 16, 2022

Absolutely he should ! Harry & Meghan have been vilified for wanting to step back as senior royals, and he thinks he can carry on as of nothing is wrong

— Sally Pedley (@sally_pedley66) February 16, 2022

Harry and Meghan represent the best of the royal family- and the royal family doesnt even acknowledge them. They were smart to get out and they are home here in the U.S. welcome Harry & Meghan. You have a supporter in me!!!

— Cortney W McKee, MPA (@CortneyWarwick) February 16, 2022

The Queen is thought to fund her son from her Duchy of Lancaster income, which rakes in 21.7 million pounds ($A41 million) a year.

Prince Andrew also receives a Royal Navy pension.

The deal will bring an abrupt end to the lawsuit alleging the prince sexually abused Ms Roberts Giuffre, who now resides in Australia, when she was 17 years old.

“Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out-of-court settlement,” new court papers filed in a Manhattan Federal Court on Tuesday, read.

Ms Roberts Giuffre, 38, alleges she trafficked to Prince Andrew – Queen Elizabeth’s second son – for sex on multiple occasions in 2001, by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019. She is seeking unspecified damages.

The prince has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and strongly refuted the allegations made against him.

In an unsigned letter attached to the settlement agreement, the Duke of York said that he accepts Ms Roberts Giuffre has suffered as an “established victim” of sex abuse at the hands of someone else.

Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York has agreed to settle the case brought against him. Picture: Steve Parsons / AFP.

The infamous photos of Prince Andrew with Virginia Roberts Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell – which his legal team has claimed could have been doctored. Ms Roberts Giuffre says she lost the original.

“Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks,” court papers filed on Tuesday read.

“It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and he commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.”

Royal sources have told British newspapers Prince Charles and possibly The Queen herself will have ordered him to settle the case.

“I’m sure that Charles has had enough of the situation. Charles would have said to Andrew that he needed to get this sorted out as soon as possible and before the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations begin. Charles did not want this hanging over the Royal Family this year,” a source told the Daily Mail.

A former royal protection officer, Paul Page, told The Sun it would have been The Queen’s call – not Prince Andrew’s.

“This wasn’t his decision, this was the Queen’s,” he said.

As part of the settlement, Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights, according to the filing.

The sex abuse case brought against the royal is then expected to be dismissed “upon Ms Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement” within 30 days. The sum of the payout will not be disclosed, according to court documents.

“He 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,” the filing states.

The prince has previously attempted to have the “baseless” lawsuit dismissed, adding that “sensationalism and innuendo have prevailed over the truth”.

The Duke of York sparked fury with a legal filing in October that branded Ms Giuffre a “money-hungry sex kitten” who was only suing him for “another payday”.

David Boies, Ms Roberts Giuffre’s lawyer, then hit back in a court filing in New York opposing Prince Andrew’s motion to dismiss.

“During that interview, Prince Andrew said that he could not recall ever meeting Ms Giuffre, a denial so at odds with photographs and other evidence that it is itself indicative of guilt,” Mr Boies said.

Prince Andrew famously claimed a photo of him with his arm round Ms Giuffre – said to have been taken in Ghislaine Maxwell’s London home – could have been doctored.