Prince Andrew sex assault case formally closed after settlement paid

A judge has formally dismissed a sex assualt lawsuit against Prince Andrew after the royal paid millions in a settlement to his Aussie-based accuser.

A sexual assault lawsuit brought in New York against Prince Andrew by his longtime accuser Australia-based Virginia Roberts Giuffre has been formally dismissed after the disgraced British royal paid a financial settlement, court documents show.

In February, the parties had settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, sparing the second son of Queen Elizabeth II the public humiliation of a trial.

Both parties filed a “stipulation of dismissal” of the case in federal court in New York, which was signed by Judge Lewis Kaplan on Tuesday US time.

Last month’s agreement had stated that the parties would file a motion for dismissal “upon Ms Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement,” suggesting the settlement has been paid.

Prince Andrew has agreed to the settlement that will end the ex abuse case of Virginia Roberts Giuffre.

Ms Giuffre, 38, has said she had sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17 – a minor under US law – after meeting him through the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein.

In 2019, Epstein took his own life in a New York City jail cell, while awaiting his own trial for sex crimes.

The royal, now 61, has not been criminally charged and has denied the allegations.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that Andrew was to pay £10 million ($AU18 million) to Ms Giuffre and £2 million ($AU3m) to a charity for victims of sex trafficking.

In January, Prince Andrew was stripped of his honorary military titles as well as his remaining charitable roles.

He withdrew from public life as a royal in 2019 after a widely ridiculed BBC interview in which he sought to vindicate himself of Ms Giuffre’s accusation.

Prince Andrew is getting help from his family. Picture: Getty Images

Prince Charles reportedly paid his brother’s huge settlement because Prince Andrew is broke and couldn’t risk missing the payout deadline.

Most of the money Prince Andrew paid Ms Giuffre came from Prince Charles, with The Queen also putting money into the settlement.

Prince Andrew will now pay both back when he and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson sell their $30m Swiss chalet.

The sale could take up to two month.

If he doesn’t pay the money back, he will lose inheritance from The Queen, The Sun reports.

It’s believed Prince Charles pressured his brother to agree to the settlement after lawyers said Prince Andrew would give a witness statement to the sex abuse civil case in New York – risking even more damage to the monarchy.

No public money is believed to being used to fund the settlement.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Andrew arrive for a garden party in the grounds of Buckingham Palace in 2019.

A palace source said: “There were family discussions about how to ‘take a little from here and a little from there’. Once the [chalet money] hits his bank account, he can pay back his brother and whoever else has lent him money.

“But that payment (to Virginia) has to be paid on time. He can’t rely on selling the chalet. Too many things can go wrong and the court won’t wait for property queries.”

Prince Andrew has always strongly denied any wrongdoing and has maintained he cannot recall ever meeting Ms Roberts Giuffre.

In 2019 he gave a disastrous interview to the BBC where he spoke of his friendship with Epstein, but instead of shutting down the scandal it just ignited it and caused further embarrassment to the Royal Family.

The Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee this year and senior royals like Prince Charles and Prince William have been keen to distance the drama surrounding Prince Andrew, who has been essentially exiled from the family, from the event.