Reports suggest Queen Elizabeth II will help cover the costs of Prince Andrew's settlement with Virginia Guiffre after a deal was announced this week.
The Duke of York has agreed to pay Giuffre to bring an end to the civil sex assault claim she filed against him in the United States.
The amount of money the two parties agreed upon has not been disclosed, but Andrew is set to make a 'substantial donation' to Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights while each side will file a 'stipulation of dismissal' to discontinue the case.
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Experts believe the settlement will involve a 'very large sum of money', Sky News reports, prompting many people to question exactly where Andrew will get his money from.
Now, a report from The Telegraph has suggested that Guiffre will receive more than £12 million and that the Queen will provide some of the money from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate, which recently increased its worth by £1.5 million to more than £23 million. The Queen is thought to have already paid millions of pounds to help Andrew fight the case.
Andrew reportedly faced pressure from senior royals to resolve the lawsuit ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, which will be celebrated in June. Negotiations over the settlement are believed to have lasted for at least 10 days, and Buckingham Palace is said to have been relieved to learn the case will not go to trial.
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However, it seems the settlement is not enough to earn Andrew an appearance at the Jubilee. The prince had his remaining military titles and patronages removed earlier this year and agreed to no longer use his HRH title.
He is not expected to regain these titles, and a senior royal source told the MailOnline: 'Regardless of the outcome, he has ruled himself out of any public role by virtue of his appalling lack of judgment and poor choice of friends and associates.'
Though Andrew is set to appear on March 29 for a service of thanksgiving for the Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey, he is not expected to take part in any further public events or celebrations related to the Jubilee.
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A source cited by The Telegraph said: 'It has been made clear that the public have heard enough about him and enough from him. They need to hear no more.'
As part of the settlement, Andrew also pledged to 'demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein' by supporting the 'fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims', though the agreement contained no admission of liability and no apology.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivor’s Trust for free on 08088 010 818, or through their website thesurvivorstrust.org
Topics: Prince Andrew, The Queen, Royal Family, Crime, US News, UK News
Emily Brown