London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Prince Andrew: Jeffrey Epstein's 2009 settlement with Virginia Giuffre to be made public next week

Prince Andrew: Jeffrey Epstein's 2009 settlement with Virginia Giuffre to be made public next week

The 2009 agreement between Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew's accuser Virginia Giuffre, formerly Virginia Roberts, will be released on or around 3 January following an order by US judges. It will come as Ghislaine Maxwell faces years in jail.
A past settlement between sex offender Jeffey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre, which could be key to a legal case involving Prince Andrew, is set to be made public next week.

The 2009 agreement between Epstein and Ms Giuffre, formerly Virginia Roberts, will be released on or around 3 January following an order by US judges.

It will come after Ghislaine Maxwell, a friend of Andrew, was found guilty of recruiting underage girls to be sexually abused by her ex-boyfriend Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Ms Giuffre has accused Andrew of forcing her to have sex more than two decades ago when she was under 18 at the London home of Maxwell, and abusing her at two of Epstein's homes.

Andrew has denied the claims and has not been charged with criminal offences.

The Duke of York's lawyers have also argued the 2009 settlement between Epstein and Ms Giuffre releases him from liability.

This is, they said, because it covered "royalty" and that Epstein had insisted it cover "any and all persons" who Ms Giuffre might sue.

But Ms Giuffre's lawyers have countered that the agreement "on its face" applies "at most" to people involved in underlying litigation in Florida, thereby excluding Andrew.

They have said that the Queen's second son should not use the 2009 agreement as a "get out of jail free card".

A New York judge is due on 4 January to hear arguments on whether to dismiss Ms Giuffre's civil lawsuit against Andrew, which is seeking unspecified damages.

The Duke of York's lawyers this week called for the case to be halted or thrown out because Ms Giuffre actually lives in Australia.

They claimed this means the New York court may not have "jurisdiction" over the lawsuit.

Ms Giuffre's legal team have described it as "another in a series of tired attempts by Prince Andrew to duck and dodge the legal merits" of the civil case.

If judges do not throw out Ms Giuffre's lawsuit against Andrew, a trial could be held between September and December 2022.

Gloria Allred, a lawyer who represents 20 accusers of Epstein, said it was now a matter of having to "wait and see" if the civil case against Andrew ever gets to trial.

She told the BBC that "to prove a criminal case, the burden of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt" but "only a preponderance of evidence must be shown in order for there to be the possibility of the defendant being held liable" in a civil case.

She added: "I anticipate many legal arguments on behalf of Prince Andrew, having to do with jurisdiction, the power of the court and other such issues - so we will have to wait and see if his case ever gets to trial or not."

Ms Giuffre was not called upon to give evidence during Maxwell's trial, despite the court being told she was "available".

"Certainly, if she had been called, it would have seen Andrew centre-stage," Mark Stephens, of law firm Howard Kennedy, told The Guardian.

He suggested the reason the prosecution did not call Ms Giuffre in the Maxwell case was "that they risked an own goal if her credibility could be undermined, which would have given Maxwell a leg-up".

Mr Stephens told the newspaper that there "must be some relief for Andrew that Giuffre did not appear, because it does distance him, somewhat, from the case".

But he added that Andrew's reputation had already been tarnished by his association with Epstein.

"A guilty verdict on Ghislaine Maxwell, you might say, is almost priced in regarding Prince Andrew and reputational damage," he said.

"People have already made up their minds about him and the verdict would have no impact on how they view him."

In a BBC Newsnight interview in November 2019, Andrew said he did not regret his association with Epstein as it "had some seriously beneficial outcomes" unrelated to the abuse claims against the late financier.

He also revealed he had met Maxwell, who he described as having a "friendship" with, as recently as 2019, but said they did not discuss Epstein.

Following the conclusion of Maxwell's trial, Ms Giuffre said that the socialite "did not act alone".

"Others must be held accountable. I have faith that they will be," she added.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×