London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 14, 2025

Prince Andrew’s settlement of sex-abuse case may help save the Crown

Prince Andrew’s settlement of sex-abuse case may help save the Crown

Prince Andrew’s tarnished reputation is irreparable, but the Royal Family as an institution will most likely live on
Those who point out that the mega-rich can always buy themselves out of legal trouble by waving a cheque book have another case to add to their list – namely that of Virginia Giuffre vs Prince Andrew. In dramatic news that finally got Ukraine off the front pages, the Queen’s son has agreed a reported £12-million ($16.3-million) out-of-court settlement with the 38-year-old American who had accused him of historical sexual abuse.

The Queen will reportedly help pay for the deal. However, any hopes Buckingham Palace may have had that a line will now be drawn under the case in the Platinum Jubilee year would soon have been dashed, after a glance at the newspaper splashes in the UK. They really don’t make good reading if you’re the Duke of York, or, indeed, the Queen.

“Royal wrong ‘un pays out to sex victim he’s never met. As you do,” declared the Daily Star. “His final disgrace,” pronounced The Sun. “Duke’s final ‘£10m’ humiliation,” was the verdict of the Daily Mail. “Andrew cuts sex case deal... but there’s no way back,” was the view of the Daily Express.

Let’s be honest: there was no way given the nature of the allegations against him, and Andrew’s proven association with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted paedophile, and his equally ghastly procurer Ghislaine Maxwell, recently convicted of child sex trafficking, that the Crown, or Andrew himself was ever going to allow this case come to court.

Even if he had won the case – and it’s important to stress the Prince has always maintained his innocence – simply too much dirty linen would have been washed in public. A court case involving the son of the Queen and his association with those later convicted of serious sex offences and sex trafficking would have caused the Monarchy acute embarrassment. So it is really no great surprise that we’re not going to get one.

But while settling was Andrew’s least worst option, it doesn’t mean it was a good one. The overwhelming consensus is that the harm done to the Prince’s already tarnished reputation will be irreparable.

Of course, paying off an accuser doesn’t automatically mean you’re guilty. You might have perfectly legitimate reasons for wanting to settle, even if you have done nothing wrong. You may be in poor health or have other problems to contend with in your life and prefer to settle a case rather than fight it out. You may just want to spend your time on other, more pleasurable things than protracted legal battles. Note too that the statement announcing the settling of Guiffre’s case contains no apology or admission of guilt from Andrew, just “regret” over his association with Epstein.

However, for most people, the perception, rightly or wrongly, will be that the man once nicknamed ‘Randy Andy’ on account of his keen interest in the opposite sex, did have something to hide.

“If he has professed his innocence all along, why has he now settled?” wondered Dickie Arbiter, a former Palace press secretary to the Queen. It is likely to be a view shared by most people picking up a newspaper this week.

The simple truth is that Andrew’s association with the Despicable Duo – Epstein and Maxwell – will haunt him for the rest of his life. He is most unlikely to ever get back the titles he has already been stripped of, and may lose even more. He will always be seen as the ‘black sheep’ of the Royal family. He will be ‘persona non grata’ at special celebratory occasions. Airbrushed out of polite society.

Even the Duke of York Stakes at York horse races in May will be renamed to ‘The 1895 Duke of York Stakes’ to make it clear the race is not named after Prince Andrew.

Yet, because of the settlement, for all that it entails for Andrew, the Royal Family itself, as an institution, is more likely to endure. Not guaranteed to endure, but more likely, at least in a slimmed-down version. The Prince is dead, so to speak, but the Crown lives on. That surely is the main significance of this week’s news.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
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
×