Prince Andrew Blasted For Effectively Forcing Queen To Bail Him Out Of Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Yesterday, we reported that Prince Andrew had settled in the sexual assault lawsuit that was filed against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an accuser of the late billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Now, the backlash against Andrew is growing after Buckingham Palace refused to reveal whether the undisclosed settlement was partially funded by the Royal’s mother, Queen Elizabeth. 

Backstory: Prince Andrew Settles Sexual Assault Lawsuit With Epstein Accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre

Andrew’s Settlement 

A report from the Daily Telegraph alleged that the Queen would be contributing to Andrew’s settlement, which it claimed to be more than £23million, with money from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate. However, Buckingham Palace refused to either confirm or deny this. 

“We have never commented on the financial arrangements of The Duke’s legal matters and will not be going forward,” Donal McCabe, the Queen’s Communications Secretary, told Daily Mail. 

Royal finances expert David McClure said that Andrew would “more than likely probably have to turn to the Queen” for help in paying out this settlement to Giuffre. 

“I don’t think he has that money and I think it is more than likely the Queen will fork out some money,” McClure told The Sun. “The Queen will help pay for her son’s settlement for the simple reason that she has disposable money and he doesn’t.”

Giuffree’s Claims Amidst Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 

Giuffre had claimed that she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions when she was an underage 17-year-old girl in 2001. Andrew has long denied her allegations, yet he decided to settle yesterday anyway. 

Royal author Angela Levin believes the Queen played a major role in convincing Andrew to settle amidst fears that a trial would overshadow her Platinum Jubilee. The event, which is happening in June, celebrates her record-breaking 70 years on the British throne.

“I think that the Queen would have given him a big telling off and said ‘I can’t have this hanging over me for the rest of the year – I don’t want you to spoil my Platinum Jubilee. I’m the only royal who’s lasted 70 years on the throne, and you’ve got to sort it out,'” Levin said. 

Related: Prince Andrew Fights Back – Demands Jury Trial As He Denies Sexual Assault Claims

Andrew Branded ‘A Disgrace’

Royal biographer Omid Scobie, who is known to be close to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, spoke out against Andrew in the wake of the settlement being announced. 

“In the end, Andrew took accountability for nothing,” he said. “Instead, he did what only the privileged elite get to do: bought his way out. In the process, he took advantage of his elderly mother’s love (and cheque book) during a year her children should only be lifting her up. A disgrace.”

Royal commentator Adam Helliker said that he expects the public to be offended that the Queen has effectively been forced to bail her son out of this mess.

“No one has that kind of money but his mother,” Helliker said. “Andrew is not close enough to the Prince of Wales for him to fund that kind of money. He doesn’t have any income.”

Andrew was forced to take a step back from Royal life at the end of 2019 due to this scandal. And, he was recently stripped of his military titles and royal patronages by the Queen.

Even though he’s dodging a trial that could have been humiliating for him, it seems unlikely that Andrew will be returning to official Royal life anytime soon, if ever.