Why Did the Royals Fund a £12 Million Settlement With Virginia Giuffre Despite Andrew’s Repeated Denials?

British police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on February 19 to investigate misconduct in public office connected to Jeffrey Epstein. However, this is not the first time that the former Prince has faced legal trouble.

Earlier in 2021, Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit against Mountbatten-Windsor, alleging he forced her into s– acts when she was 17 years old in 2001. Giuffre alleged Epstein trafficked her to the former Prince, who assaulted her three times.

Instead of going to trial, Mountbatten-Windsor settled the lawsuit out of court in 2022 and reportedly paid £12 million, i.e., around $17 million, to Giuffre. The British royal family member has consistently denied wrongdoing and said he does not remember meeting Giuffre.

Th settlement raised questions about why Mountbatten-Windsor agree to resolve the lawsuit despite maintaining his innocence. The answer is that the former Duke of York reportedly wanted to avoid a public jury trial that would have required testimony and cross examination by Giuffre’s attorneys.

The case also posed potential reputational harm to the royal family as Queen Elizabeth II prepared to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee on the throne. The proceedings would have coincided with the national celebrations in the United Kingdom. By settling, Mountbatten-Windsor maintained his public stance that he was not guilty.

However, the former Prince reportedly lacked sufficient personal assets to pay the £12 million settlement. Queen Elizabeth II reportedly loaned him £7 million. He received an additional £3 million from the estate of Prince Philip, who died in 2021. Other members of the royal family reportedly contributed the remaining amount.

According to a report by The Sun, Mountbatten-Windsor has not repaid the loan nearly four years after the settlement. He reportedly planned to repay the funds by selling his Swiss ski chalet in Verbier. However, the property, valued at about £19 million, did not generate sufficient profit because of mortgage debt.

Despite the settlement, the allegations took an emotional toll on Giuffre, and she took her on life in April 2025. Her family released a statement saying years of abuse contributed to her death.

They said, “Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against s—--- abuse and s– trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors. In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight.”

After Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, Giuffre’s siblings released another statement thanking authorities for taking action. The statement read, “Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.

They added, “On behalf of our sister, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, we extend our gratitude to the UK’s Thames Valley Police for their investigation, and the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He was never a Prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”