Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, has called on the royal family to explain how Prince Andrew funded the reported £12m settlement in the civil sexual abuse case brought by Virginia Giuffre. Maskell said there was “a lot of clarity” needed over the payment, which was made in 2022 as part of an out-of-court settlement.
There have been long-standing rumours that the late Queen Elizabeth II partly funded the settlement with private income from the Duchy of Lancaster, a property portfolio controlled by reigning monarchs since medieval times. Maskell stressed the importance of transparency, saying “there is no space for obfuscation, no matter how embarrassing it is.”
Andrew announced on Friday he would no longer use the Duke of York title, though he retains the dukedom. He also gave up his honours as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and Royal Knight Companion of the Garter. The decision followed a discussion with King Charles, with Andrew stating the continued accusations distracted from the work of the royal family.
Maskell, who lost the Labour whip in July after rebellions on welfare policy, previously introduced a bill to give the monarch powers to remove titles. She said she would attempt to reintroduce the bill to parliament next week, noting that 80% of York residents opposed Andrew keeping the title in 2022.
