New reporting claims Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals helped fund Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s multi-million-pound settlement with Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused him of sexual abuse.
According to The Mirror, Andrew’s reported £12 million (approx. $16 million) settlement included significant financial contributions from within the royal family. The outlet alleges that roughly £7 million (approx. $9.5 million) came from the late Queen Elizabeth II, with an additional £3 million (approx. $5 million) reportedly drawn from Prince Philip’s estate after his death. It also claims that then-Prince Charles and other family members contributed a further lump sum to help resolve the case.
Andrew has consistently denied Giuffre’s allegations. In August 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit in a U.S. court accusing Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17, as part of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation. The case was settled out of court in early 2022. The settlement did not include an admission of liability.
An unnamed source quoted by The Mirror claimed the family’s financial intervention prevented the case from being argued publicly in court. Buckingham Palace has not publicly detailed who funded the settlement, and official breakdowns of the payments have not been confirmed.
The scandal surrounding Andrew’s ties to Epstein led to his removal from royal duties and the stripping of his military affiliations and patronages. He no longer uses the style “His Royal Highness” in an official capacity.
Virginia Giuffre died in April 2025 at the age of 41. Her death reignited public discussion around the Epstein case and its lasting impact.
The renewed scrutiny over how Andrew’s settlement was financed is likely to intensify debate about the royal family’s handling of one of its most damaging modern controversies.
