Rachael Maskell, the MP for York Central, has urged the royal family to clarify how Prince Andrew funded his reported £12m settlement in the sexual abuse case brought by Virginia Giuffre. Speaking after Andrew announced he would relinquish his Duke of York title, Maskell said “a lot of clarity” was needed over the payment, which was made in 2022.
Giuffre, who died by suicide in April at the age of 41, had alleged she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein from the age of 16 and trafficked to other powerful men. She brought a civil case against Andrew in New York, claiming he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17. Andrew has always denied the allegations and made no admission of liability, but agreed to settle the case out of court. The Telegraph reported that, as part of the deal, Giuffre agreed not to repeat her accusations for a year to avoid tarnishing Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee.
Andrew announced on Friday that he would no longer use the title of Duke of York, following a discussion with the King. He will also give up his honours as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, though he will retain the title of prince. The Prince of Wales was reportedly dissatisfied with the outcome and is said to be considering a tougher approach towards Andrew, including barring him from his future coronation.
Maskell, who has long campaigned for Andrew to be stripped of the dukedom, said she would reintroduce a bill to parliament giving the monarch powers to remove titles, either on his own initiative or following a recommendation from a joint parliamentary committee. She noted that a 2022 poll in York found 80% of residents opposed the retention of the title due to its association with the city.
Speaking to the BBC on Friday, Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, described Andrew’s decision to surrender his titles as a “joyous moment”. He added: “I think her kids would be incredibly proud to know that their mom is…” The Mail on Sunday and Sun on Sunday also reported that Andrew contacted Epstein the day after a picture of him with his arm around a teenage Giuffre was published, with an email quoted in which Andrew allegedly said: “I’m just as concerned for you! Don’t worry about me!”
