Prince Andrew's team attempted to hire "internet trolls to hassle" his accuser Virginia Giuffre, according to allegations in her posthumous memoir, Nobody's Girl. Giuffre wrote that while Andrew hid behind the "well-guarded gates" of Balmoral Castle to avoid being served court papers, his associates sought to undermine her credibility online.
In the memoir, published on Tuesday, Giuffre detailed the 2022 confidential settlement of her sexual abuse civil claim against the royal. She stated her lawyers "were going to ask for the moon" and the agreement "had to be more than mere money." Giuffre insisted Andrew owed her a meaningful apology, noting his team had tried to hire trolls to bother her.
Giuffre, who died by suicide in April aged 41, also revealed she agreed to a one-year gag clause to avoid tarnishing the late Queen's platinum jubilee. Her book comes amid renewed pressure for Prince Andrew to be formally stripped of his Duke of York and Knight of the Garter titles, which he recently announced he would no longer use.
Downing Street declined to comment on legislation to strip Andrew of his dukedom, stating it was "a matter for the palace." The Metropolitan Police are reportedly "actively" investigating claims Andrew passed Giuffre's personal details to a police protection officer in an attempt to smear her. A Buckingham Palace source described the allegations as "very serious and grave concern" and called for appropriate examination.
Giuffre repeats her allegations of being forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, including when she was 17, after being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew vehemently denies all allegations. The memoir also claims his disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview strengthened her case, potentially allowing her team to subpoena his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and daughters.
