Yep, this was probably in the works for weeks. Prince Andrew has settled out of court with Virginia Giuffre. He was due to give his deposition less than a month from now, and the civil case was likely going to trial in the fall. Now Andrew’s lawyers and Virginia’s lawyers will join together to have the case dismissed. We do not know how much money Andrew had to give Virginia, but we’re talking about millions of dollars. I also think that the timing is notable: the settlement was agreed upon about nine days after Queen Elizabeth described her “sincere wish” to see Camilla as Queen Consort. As in, the Queen gave Charles the thing he wanted, and in exchange, funds were given to Andrew to settle this.
Andrew also wants people to know that he’s making a “substantial donation” to Virginia’s charity,” but the wording indicates that the donation is in addition to a settlement to Virginia. I also suspect that the biggest hold-up for the settlement was the precise wording used in Andrew’s apology, or should I say acknowledge of Virginia’s victimhood.
Joint statement from Virginia’s lawyer, David Boies, and Prince Andrew’s lawyer, Andrew Brettler: pic.twitter.com/t6WnSpvZxO
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) February 15, 2022
Andrew “has never intended to malign Giuffre’s character…” Yeah, he absolutely intended to call her a liar and worse. He didn’t have to admit to raping Virginia when she was a 17-year-old human trafficking victim “given” to him by Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, but he did have to express regret for his friendship with Epstein.
I’m very glad that Virginia got a settlement from Andrew. I want peace for her, and she got what she wanted: an acknowledgement, carefully worded, about what was done to her. She rattled the f–k out of the establishment and the royal family. The fight continues, but she has every right to declare victory and walk away.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
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- Virginia Roberts talks about how she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and allegedly had sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17 on 'Panorama, The Prince and the Epstein Scandal'. Broadcast on BBC One,Image: 486024846, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WENN does not claim any ownership including but not limited to Copyright, License in attached material. Fees charged by WENN are for WENN's services only, do not, nor are they intended to, convey to the user any ownership of Copyright, License in material. By publishing this material you expressly agree to indemnify, to hold WENN, its directors, shareholders, employees harmless from any loss, claims, damages, demands, expenses (including legal fees), any causes of action, allegation against WENN arising out of, connected in any way with publication of the material., Model Release: no, Pictured: Virginia Roberts,Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Credit line: – / Wenn / Avalon
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- 153637, HRH Prince Andrew attends the service for the Most Noble Order of the Garter at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Windsor, United Kingdom – Monday June 13, 2016. UK, FRANCE, AUS, NZ, CHINA, HONGKONG, TAIWAN, SPAIN & ITALY OUT Photograph: © CPNA Rota / i-Images, PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office: +1 310.822.0419 UK Office: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 sales@pacificcoastnews.com FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE,Image: 533490138, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS, DIRECT SALES ONLY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN CAPTION – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: i-Images, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
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- Los Angeles, CA – **FILE PHOTOS** Prince Andrew smiling as he stands with his left arm around the waist of a young Virginia Roberts. It is alleged to have been taken in early 2001. Ghislaine Maxwell stands behind. *Editorial Use Only* see Special Instructions. Pictured: Prince Andrew, Virginia Roberts, Ghislaine Maxwell BACKGRID USA 17 NOVEMBER 2019 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Windsor, UNITED KINGDOM – Buckingham Palace has announced Prince Andrew, the Duke of York has been stripped of all military titles and patronages and will no longer use his HRH title as he defends his sexual abuse case as a private citizen. Pictured: Prince Andrew BACKGRID USA 13 JANUARY 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
WOW. That’s all I’ve got.
Same. WOW.
I think part of the pay off is that Andrew and fergie have to give up Royal Lodge -and that then william and Kate and kids 0r just Kate and kids will get to live there.
@EdnaMode and that also fits in with the other story about Charles wanting to Andrew to disappear from the public eye. A lot easier to avoid being seen in Windsor if he’s not living in Windsor.
Yep, I’d say it’s just about right.
WOW is right.
I truly believe Andrew is so arrogant that he wanted to go through deposition and to trial. So I ask the RF experts here… was this the deal he had to make with Charles to not only secure funds now but more so to avoid being totally cut off later down the line when Charles is King? Like “Settle now you fool and put this mess behind before you muck up the RF any more than you already have otherwise, you are on your own once mummy is gone.”
To be fair to you I don’t think one needs to be a royal expert to come to that conclusion 🙂
@colby – I suppose that is true!
I’m just genuinely giving the RF experts here their respect. I am not one at all, but do enjoy some of the RF gossip. Have learned a lot at Celebitchy from not only Kaiser but so many commenters here. So I that’s why I didn’t feel I can be declarative on the subject.
But once Mummy is gone he will live off the inheritance he leaves her. And since he is still in line to throne he will always be taken care of and protected by the Gov’t.
Andrew may live in seclusion but he will not live in poverty or reduced circumstances as neither Charles or William want him “ghosting” a book with Andrew Morton as Diana originally did with Andrew Morton.
Well, to be honest, I wanted him to too.
The spectacle would have been amazing. AMAZING. He’s such an arrogant buffoon I would have loved to see what could happen if he were truly given enough rope!!
But on the other hand, Virginia has slogged this out for so many years now, I cannot imagine the toll. If she’s happy to claim victory and walk away, I’m happy for her.
I realise it’s not up to her to provide his humiliation for my entertainment.
I would’ve been satisfied to see them make it to March 7 – Judge Kaplan issued an order on February 8 that parties “shall file a joint written report on the status of pretrial discovery. The report shall include information about … the identities of witnesses expected … to be deposed subsequently and agreed or anticipated dates for future depositions.”
I think that would have been sufficient to hold Charles’ feet to the fire if he’d been inclined to drag out settlement negotiations.
The pieces have always been laid to bare we just needed them to be set to complete the puzzle. Charles is in CHARGE….PERIOD
Actually, I think this was the most predictable outcome. Andrew’s family pays his victim a large amount (millions of dollars) in exchange for some type of non-disclosure where she cannot repeat the allegations in public, write a book, etc. Then the royal family will say the unproven allegations were dismissed, and never speak of it again like it didn’t happen.
It’s not over until it’s over. Andrew has 30 days to pay up– it’s only AFTER Virginia receives the promised amount, presumably in full, not installments– that the parties will file a stipulated dismissal.
LOLOLOL! This just in from Judge Kaplan:
The joint application to suspend all deadlines and hold the action in abeyance is granted to the extent that deadlines are suspended and the action will be held in abeyance to and including March 17, 2022. In the event the stipulation of dismissal is not filed by then, it remains entirely possible that this action will be set for trial when previously indicated. SO ORDERED.
Ahahah! Translation: Andrew better pay up by March 17 or this is going to trial.
Ha, better hurry up and write that check, Chuck, or lil’ brother will get his butt hauled off to trial!
Thanks for the update LaraW”. Tick tick goes the clock. Because I don’t completely understand what Kaplan said or if it’s standard procedure, does that mean at all that Andrew and his lawyers were asking for an extended time to pay? Or was the Judge just saying in simple terms, don’t test me further? Which, the latter I kind of love.
Both parties agreed to file a stipulation voluntarily dismissing the case 1) within 30 days and 2) after the settlement amount was paid in full to Virginia. This is Judge Kaplan putting some extra teeth into the agreement. If Andrew tries to suddenly back out of the settlement now that the case is stayed, Kaplan is saying he’ll just pick up right where they left off.
Andrew is supposed to be deposed on March 10. He can’t use this as a tactic to avoid being deposed or to further delay the trial. It’s definitely him telling Andrew and the BRF “do NOT test me.”
Thank you!
Good for Virginia! I hope she is happy and she can move on. Couple thoughts: She did say that Andrew was not the only one… maybe the other Johns will be willing to make quiet settlements now that they know she means busine$$. Get it Virginia! Another thought: When do we get our Shondaland production on Viriginia????
As a UK taxpayer I’m incredibly angry that my money is being used to cover up the predatory illegal behaviour of this nonce. Why the hell we still put up with this festering pit of inbred criminals and pretend they’re some sort of noble institution is beyond me.
Holy Moley – can we now start calling Camilla “the Peacemaker”?
Congrats, Virginia – you showed the world what Andrew is like.
I hope that EVERY SINGLE PENNY of it comes directly from the fickle British Taxpayers.
Why? We hate him as much as everyone else does. I have no interest in funding any of them.
As a British taxpayer, it better bloody well not! And if it does, the amount paid will be obvious when the RF’s annual accounts are audited. They have to account for public money…..but don’t have to account for funds raised from their various duchies.
Well, in a way, we could consider this as part of the cost of the Jubilee. They have to make the landscape beautiful – plant some flowers, declare Camilla Queen Consort, sweep the streets, shift Andrew out of the way…
Maybe if so this truly would bring about the demise of the RF? What else would it take to get the people–and Parliament–to rise up & say ‘no more’?
I seriously doubt any of the payoff will be from taxpayers and it shouldn’t be. The RF wouldn’t risk the amount becoming public knowledge…
Yes – please don’t hold all of us responsible for the sins of this horrible man (and we’ll do the same for your less enjoyable Presidents.)
Like Original Penguin, I too have no interest in funding this settlement, or indeed, the entire Royal Family. Lord knows how much the Platitudinous Jubilee celebrations are going to cost us. The only positive is that we’ll get an extra day off work to “celebrate”. Yay.
Dana C: Surely you are not comparing a US President that runs for office that can be voted out of office or impeached to a family that lives off your money for LIFE because of a birthright. Surely you are not comparing an elected US President to a family that you put above all other families in your country that you bow/curtsy to and call “Your Royal Highness”……surely you are not comparing a US President to a Family that you call “Royal” and “Queen/King”……seriously you may want to rethink your comparison. A fair comparison would be your PM to our President. We don’t have an equivalent to your Royal Family we literally went to war to get rid of them.
@PaulaH— Please don’t bring nationalism into the conversation. We all admire Virginia’s courage in perservering over the years to take down Epstein and his associates, and we’re all glad that at least one of those high profile individuals was held to (monetary) account. This issue at its root is not about two country’s systems of government, but about abuses in power by wealthy white males and the failure to prevent, vigorously investigate, and ultimately prosecute the perpetrators of human sex trafficking. I think we can all agree that regardless of whether a person is born to wealth and a title or is just wealthy, the power and level of protection it affords them makes it disgustingly easy to prey on women.
LaraW: Oh please. This is all about the British Royal Family. It’s all about the British People and the British Press. It’s all about their ability to turn a blind eye or sweep this under the rug so that The Queen can enjoy her upcoming Jubilee and the British Press and its people can continue to place their Royal Family on a fake pedestal. The Queen doesn’t give a Fig about Virginia. Open your eyes. Within a year Andrew will be back in favor after the British Press has completed destroyed Virginia.
None of this will come from the taxpayer. The Queen has huge personal resources. I agree with LaraW. Andrew personifies an element in the male British upper classes. Boris Johnson is cast in the same mould – hugely entitled, self regarding, vulgar and essentially primitive.
@Paula H I think the British public has more pressing things on their minds than the endless dramas of the Royal family. The public doesn’t like the fact they live off tax payer money. They don’t like what they get up to or get away with but they’re not running the country.
On top of that is the fact that a moderate percentage of public opinion is controlled by the press and while they’re perhaps not the majority, they are the most vocal. It’s the same crowd who went all out for Brexit. The press isn’t going to change their tune unless the Royals stop being so profitable for them and before you go down the route of freedom of press, you should probably check where the US ranks on that list.
Your comments are not really hiding your clear xenophobia and nationalism. People might feel powerless to change everything that’s going on in their country but people are essentially the same all over the world and there is no need for such blatant hatred. Every country has its issues. There is not a single one which is perfect. Your ability to elect or impeach your own head of state has not always worked out so well.
Definition of Guilty: Pay huge sums of money to someone you claim you never met
Yes! That is exactly why he settled! Pedrew had a meeting with Charles to which he was told to settle! I innocent man would have gone to trial.
I am just happy for Virginia. The emotional toll that she has had to endure from coming from being a trafficked teenager to become a strong woman and knowing that she would be dragged by the British rags must have been upsetting. But Virginia BEAT Pedrew at his own game. She can now put this behind her.
@Dana C, I just had to look up the word “Platitudinous” since I’d never heard it before, so thank you for teaching me a new word! This happens a lot here on CB and I love it.
@Paula H I understand your frustration and I don’t think it comes from a place of hatred. I go back and forth on it: on the one hand, not my country. On the other hand, fascinating. One hand, over the top pompous pageantry, other hand, only soap opera across the pond that people care about globally.
When you think about how much entertainment they provide this website alone, you kind of understand the mass scale of their influence and why it’s extremely profitable for the UK. However, the multitude of crimes that are committed and covered up by the RF is abhorrent and until everyone from the common people to the lawmakers stop turning a blind eye to it, it’ll continue it’s course.
That said, they always need a scandal. When they do “good works” it’s never newsworthy, nor is it “enough” to justify their existence. However, cooking up harmless drama to entertain the masses has metastasized into something truly malignant, and I for one am enjoying their forced exposure and comeuppance. It might take time, but hopefully a new era means the Royal curtains are being yanked off the rod, ring by ring. Thanks Andrew, for expediting the process; hopefully no poor maid will be tasked with closing the gap for you now.
I understand why Virginia Giuffre accepted a settlement — civil suits take forever and are expensive to continue — and I hope this enables her to find some amount of peace after the abuse she has suffered.
At the same time I really wish Andrew had been deposed and compelled to face a court. I also hope that the BRF doesn’t try to rehabilitate his image now, but I’m guessing they will.
I can see TQ trying to rehabilitate Andrew’s image, but not Charles. I think Chuck will make sure that Andrew lives a very restricted life from now on. No balconies for him.
Charles hates Andrew and all his shady shit. Andrew will spend the rest of his days hiding out at Windsor, or where ever Charles ships him off to.
If Ms Giuffre is satisfied I’m happy for her.
This.
I hope that Virginia will have peace of mind now
Exactly how I feel- she deserves peace and I would never begrudge any survivor doing what’s best for them…but I also feel sadness that Andrew will never face any real repercussions, and that there are still people in the world who point to any settlement as proof that women falsify claims for cash. Of course Ms. Guiffre can’t solve that by herself, but I do feel sadness 🙁
“and I would never begrudge any survivor doing what’s best for them…”
So well said, LP. I read the news and my initial feeling was disappoitment because I had thought that she was holding out to face him in court. I wanted him to have to face that. But she has been through enough and I fully support her doing whatever it is SHE wants/needs. I also have to imagine that the she may have been advised by her lawyers to settle or at least had it pointed out “If you settle, you get 5(?) million and everyone knows that he is guilty…because you don’t give someone millions if you are innocent. If you go to court, you could lose entirely. That is always possible.” As much as I wanted to see him suffer MORE, I think this may be the best for her. In that she didn’t lose, she got $, she got as close to him fully admitting his guilt as she could have. Hell, guilty verdict in the court might not look as bad for him as this does. And SHE didn’t have to go through the circus of a trial, which I imagine would have been AWFUL for her.
I am so happy for her and I hope she is able to find and enjoy piece. I cannot imagine the cost of having to relive your trauma endlessly to find some semblance of justice.
It is wild to me that some people believe that survivors make false for cash. “Yes, I am willing to put myself and everyone who loves me through endless legal costs, public pain and trauma, and speculation for years at a time for some small chance at money”. Yikes.
Andrew remains terrible and I wonder which member of the royal family it was who actually talked sense into him about settling?
You just know that Randy Andy will treat this as an opportunity to rehabilitate himself (with Mummy’s help) and claim that he did nothing wrong and therefore he should regain all of his privileges and perks.
Good for her. She won’t be dragged through this again.
And everybody has heard enough from Andrew, I don’t think his reputation will ever recover.
Virginia managed to get Andrew removed from state sponsored public life. The whole world knows what he is.
I have a feeling that Andrew will pop up again. The journalist at Bloomberg is still diligently sifting through reams of documents to untangle the web of Andrew’s finances.
Good old Andy will be back.
I agree – she’s been very brave and deserves some peace now.
Looking forward to a journalist inevitably tracing the origin of his financial means to provide this settlement! (But probably won’t happen until after Liz has passed and doesn’t need to answer for it)
Looking forward to the announcement that Liz’s will is sealed for a thousand years.
Queen Liz paid up to get pervert Andrew off the “hook” huh? Trash. The whole lot of them.
She is sure did. Otherwise, Birgina’s crack Attorney would have started sourcing Andrew’s finances and that of his employer…
Mummy’s assets must be protected and hidden from public view at all costs!
I think this was the price of the “Queen Camilla” story.
Charles: “mummy, make this go away, and your beloved boy won’t bring down the family. And if you pay to make this go away, I want Camilla to be QWEEEEEENNNN!”
Now watch the ratchets promptly forget about this and bay for Meghan to answer accusations of “bullying staff”
Real question- can Andrew get back his HRH now? There’s no way he’s not going to try and rehabilitate his image and go back into public life. Charles will slap him down but it’s Andrew. He’s gonna try right? Could Charles have agreed to that in exchange for queen Camilla?
I don’t think he can get the HRH back, but maybe he won’t be banished to Balmoral?
He still has his HRH, he’s just not allowed to use it anymore.
I *really* doubt that Andrew gets to use his HRH again or is allowed back in public/gets his patronages back.
TQ/PC paid to the settlement, not as a favor to him, but to get this fiasco for the BRF to STOP. Virginia Giuffre had Andy right where she wanted him, and as soon as he opens his mouth for the deposition, the BRF would be greatly harmed, possibly fatally. (We saw how badly he did in the press interview, now imagine him with attorneys who would not show a smidgeon of deference.)
Chaz’s whole goal is to be king and for Camz to be queen. He saw that dream crumbling the longer this went on. So they all opened the Privy Purse and made it finally stop. It’s not going away, but at least there’s no more damage.
Oh yeah. Forget that he just can’t use it.
He hasn’t lost his HRH. It can’t be withdrawn like that of his ex wife. He has been told not to use it and it will not be used by the Palace. It means he cannot represent the Queen and no-one is expected to bow/curtsey to him. Since he no longer carries out public duties the only people who would acknowledge him in this way would be Palace staff.
I don’t think she paid, I think Chuck did, and the whole Queen Camilla thing was his price for taking care of things for mummy.
I’d love to know how much it was worth to him. I’m sure Virginia didn’t settle before the deposition for anything less than an ungodly sum.
The RR sure love to talk about Camilla’s ‘work’ for abused women. That makes how she’ll get her crown that much more gross.
I agree, Chuck and Liz have a quid pro quo. Charles settles the lawsuit, Camilla becomes queen.
Absolutely support Virginia in all aspects. I wish nothing but happiness, safety and good health for her and her family.
I saw something earlier saying Andrew’s team requested the physical photograph of the two of them together so they could verify its authenticity, and she couldn’t find it… I wonder if that played into this at all? If true, it seems like it must have.
I support Virginia 100% and think Andrew is scum in shoes, just to be clear.
The case didn’t hinge on the picture. Stop believing tabloid propaganda and so much for supporting Virginia.
Ugh, are the tabloids going to run with this lost photo as a way of rehabilitating Andrew’s image? Am I reading this wrong? I hope so cuz it makes me nauseous and angry.
@Jais: I don’t know about that but a few Andrew stans have come out of the woodwork today on this site talking about the lost photo. Oh, but they support Virginia.
I didn’t even know about it until these comments but after looking it up, saw that the Telegraph, DM, and Daily Beast wrote about it extensively. Only read the DB one and it had me feeling gross. I just don’t trust the tabloids or the RF. From what I read, she stated in 2011 that she didn’t know where the photo was so I’m thinking it’s not new info. Most likely, the tabloids were instructed to make this a thing right before the announcement of the settlement to make Andrew look innocent/less guilty.
Sorry, hope this isn’t considered thread-jacking?
The relationship between Andrew, Epstein, and Maxwell was well documented. The case didn’t turn on a single photo. No amount of money can make up for the abuse Virginia suffered, but I hope she got a f*ck ton of money.
That settlement statement would have taken several days to negotiate between the parties, and most likely Charles also had approval over the wording. Enough time to sully Virginia’s character more with a barrage of articles about the photo being missing, making it look like she didn’t have the goods to back up her claim and she settled before she was exposed as a grifter. Business as usual for the royals and the invisible contract. I’m glad that Virginia got her money and I hope she has someone keeping an eye on the tabloid stories now for articles that will attempt to slander and defame her now that she’s essentially won.
@erindipity I also saw the notice of the now missing hard copy of the photo. It makes the settlement announcement timing a little curious.
But good for Virginia for pursuing this and the settlement.
@leonsmomma it certainly does… I definitely think the Camilla situation is wrapped up in this, too. I think it’s like @jais said, they’re trying to use the timing of the two announcements (I bet the photo was known to be missing by the legal teams months ago) to help Andrew seem innocent/rehab his image.
As for @amy bee’s comment, Virginia had a circumstantial case as far as I know. A very strong one that she likely would have won, but at the end of the day it was circumstantial and the more bricks you have building your case in those situations, the stronger it is. The photo was far from the entire case, but it WAS important – so it being missing was certainly not great for her. I personally believe she still would have won at trial without it, but its disappearance may have had an influence on the damages she was awarded and more importantly, opened her up to a lot more ugliness from the press during the trial. I can’t even imagine how exhausted she must be from all of this as it is, never mind adding that on top of it. Anyway, as I said above, it definitely seems Andrew’s team had a motive in releasing that info when they did.
And now we know why Harry didn’t release a statement in support of “Queen Camilla,” too. He’s disgusted by this for sure.
@Erindipity You keep throwing “circumstantial” into your posts. Virginia had witnesses. That isn’t “circumstantial”. That is direct evidence.
@mich I don’t “keep throwing ‘circumstantial’ into [my] posts.” I used the word twice in a single post. In retrospect, though, I failed to express myself accurately when I used the term. I should have said that to my knowledge, there is no physical evidence indicating that he raped her. Eyewitness testimony, while often compelling and often qualifying as direct evidence (as you stated), isn’t infallible. I completely believe that he raped her and I feel confident a jury would have as well, had one been given the opportunity, but my point was the lack of the type of physical evidence that would have made this a more open-and-shut matter. Thank you for pointing out my misuse of the word and allowing me the opportunity to clarify.
@Erindipity: lol no
The missing original of the photo is very old news, as in, it’s been known for years. And, IIRC, Virginia didn’t have physical possession of it because she produced it in earlier investigations/legal proceedings. This is not a motivating factor in the settlement.
@c-shell oh ok, that’s enlightening – I didn’t realize this has been known for years. I figured it was known before NOW, but didn’t know it was that long established. That makes all of this even grosser! 🤮 Thank you for the info, though.
When this photo first made a public appearance, I am sure that I read that the original was in the possession of the FBI, along with other evidence that was not public. I am the only one who read/ heard this?
@Julia K, that’s what I remember, as well, but was too lazy to look it up to supply that detail (FBI possessing the original pic). 😂
What I genuinely don’t understand is, if the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution has expired, why wasn’t the photo returned to her? This is all just so… Effed up, for lack of a better term. Virginia, and all the other victims, my heart goes out to you and I hope you have some peace now.
So my understanding is that it was given to the FBI but it was returned to her and put in a box somewhere and lost. She stated this in a 2011 deposition that was unsealed in 2020. So it’s old info. This is not some new smoking gun as it’s being made out to be. Having all these articles written just yesterday about his lawyers asking for the original photo is a farce. His lawyers have known the original was lost since at least 2020. The BM and Andrew’s team are trying to make it a thing by writing about it mere hours before the settlement announcement. It’s part of a strategy.
@jais yeah, people definitely lose things over time – I can’t even begin to tell you how much stuff important stuff in my life has gone missing over the years.
At any rate, the British tabloids have reached a new low with this one. Thank you and @c-shell for filling me in!
@Jais, I’m also totally infuriated that the ‘missing photo’ BS is now being used by monarchists as the probable reason Virginia settled.
If you were presented with a photo of yourself with your arm around someone as a piece of evidence being used against you, and you know that photo was never taken, you (that moron Andrew) would have said IMMEDIATELY “that’s not real, that’s photoshopped, etc.” Andrew first saw this picture decades ago. You wouldn’t wait 20 years to all of a sudden claim the photo wasn’t real. It is so sleazy and disingenuous for his team to try and make this an issue in the year 2022 riiiiight around the time of the settlement. His supporters have already started using this completely false ‘original’ photo issue as a way to prove that Virginia was forced to settle and it’s disgusting.
There’s nothing to be done about it — as you said, numerous outlets are already running with it, but it’s sickening to me that there are so many people hellbent on defending a man we all know is guilty of raping a trafficked teenager.
With you Lorelei and whew it made me mad today. It’s time for Virginia to have her peaceful under a tree time.
I’ve seen where a lot of UK owned media outlets were saying Andrew’s lawyers were reportedly asking Virginia for the original photo. Did not see where it was said that Andrew’s lawyers filed a motion (if that’s the right wording) with the courts for the original photo. Yes, at some point I remember reading that the FBI had it. Andrew’s lawyers should have been asking them then, not Virginia. Interesting that Andrew’s lawyers put that out within days of the settlement being announced. As if they didn’t know a settlement was in the works and would be announced. /s His lawyers are just spinning it differently. The timing of the photo request is suspicious on the part of Andrew’s lawyers.
Virginia’s been a champ for all of this over the last decade?. Would have loved to see Andrew go to trial.
I read the article in the Fail yesterday. It was all about the missing photo. The last or second last sentence in the article mentioned that Virginia had given the picture to the FBI in 2011. Every single person in the comment section on that page missed that little fact.
Wait, that can’t possibly absolve him of criminal charges, can it? That’s completely separate from the civil trial, but I guess if the agreement is that Giuffre won’t testify in a criminal trial, that’s the end of that. I don’t judge her for making a deal, but I hate that rich men never face real consequences.
The “Statute of Limitations” has run out on filing any criminal charges which is why Giuffre was forces to go the “civil” route in court.
I guess I was confused about talk of him being extradited to the U.S. as part of the investigation. We knew that would never happen, but I thought he was still being investigated for crimes.
I believe criminal prosecution of Andrew for the statutory rape of Virginia might be barred, depending upon the jurisdiction (I.e., which state law we’re applying), but Andrew surely has other victims based upon human trafficking statutes, both state and federal, and should be sweating (heh) about what’s about to be revealed by the Ghislaine Maxwell investigation/records. I don’t believe he’s free and clear of all liability with this one settlement.
I don’t know if I dare hope that anything useful gets revealed from Maxwell. But unlike some of the other *very powerful* men involved, Andrew’s name will be forever be associated rape and human trafficking.
I firmly believe there are other victims and now that Virginia has gotten her settlement, others will start coming forward. I would have loved to see him shuffled off in an orange jumpsuit and shackles — alas, that won’t happen but he deserves to be put under a glaring legal spotlight for the rest of his worthless life.
@Jaded – I’ve come to accept that in a lot of these cases the worst thing that ever happens to the powerful man involved is public humiliation. But if that’s the worst that can happen, it should. So many men involved here though that may never get public humiliation (and Trump as we know is not even capable of humiliation, but there’s still a chance he’ll be shackled for life on a crime of treason if never the many many counts of rape and child rape he’s undoubtedly guilty of).
Wow. The timing of this with Queen Camilla announcement is like watching all the pieces of a puzzle come together. Sad, scary, speechless….
I hope the money Charles lent him for this buys him out of Royal Lodge and he spends the rest of his life in a grace and favor hovel with no staff. Congratulations to Virginia. I wish we’d gotten to see him publicly deposed, but if she’s satisfied then that’s enough.
I hope it was a TON of money.
A VULGUR amount of money.
An overly OBSCENELY VULGAR amount of money
Oh god. I misspelled vulgar. I had to disable spellcheck because it kept changing my words. $7.5 million is not the vulgar I was looking for but this was Virginia and David Boies’ call.
“OK, that’s the financial part of the settlement. Now it’s time to talk jewelry. Let’s break out some of Queen Mary’s stash. My client is particularly interested in these.”
*lays out a ton of screen shots from Order of Splendor blog*
‘now it’s time to talk jewelry’
snort!
It’s definitely looking like that the Queen’s support for Queen Camilla was given in exchange for Andrew’s settlement and future financial upkeep. I’m not surprised that Andrew settled but that it has come before the deposition. That means he and his lawyers had no confidence in his ability to give a credible testimony. As far as I’m concerned this is an admission of guilt by Andrew and he knew if he actually went to trial the case would have caused major damage to the Queen. I think Virginia would be satisfied with the outcome. She got him to say that she was a victim of Epstein and to apologise for disparaging her. I bet some of the damages included in the settlement was for defaming her character.
She DID rattle tf out of them. Good for her. Hope she enjoys her millions and does good with her foundation.
Oh the irony if Camilla were to keel over from Covid after all this….
It seems Queen Camilla gained royal approval on the back of a sex trafficking victim. The irony and shame of it all.
Exactly! Sickening. I am so done with this family.
Exactly….how they can hold their heads up I will never know.
That is *it* in a nutshell. I hope they all (the BRF and their enablers) burn in hell, if there is one.
Which is exactly on brand for her.
Wife of the future head of the Church of England, don’t forget.
AmyBee – interesting viewpoint. Thanks for the irony. Camilla’s support of sexual assault and domestic violence victims seems even more calculated now. Glad to see the “substantial donation” going to Giuffre’s charity rather than anything assoc w-Camilla.
Guessing Andy would’ve been sweating through that deposition; game over.
Good for Virginia. Wish her peace and healing.
If anyone in the BRF had a clue, Andrew would be kept out of the public eye for the rest of his life.
*Glad that this is settled for Virginia. Decades of her life have been spent trying to expose the crimes of J.Epstein, etc.
*OTOH, I was hoping that Andrew would be deposed in an open court. PA is such an entitled jackass that every times he goes off script he shows himself to be an idiot of the first order.
“I don’t sweat”
*Is anyone surprised that Andrew settled? If he was more intelligent he would have done so years back.
*G. Maxwell will somehow also slip past any justice for the victims, IMO.
Just how close to the end is QE?
Charles and the men in grey truly seem to be running The Firm.
I hope Virginia gets a lot of money. There’s only so much you can do to hold the rich and powerful accountable, Andrew’s reputation will forever be in shreds.
Giving Charles credit where credit is due..I think he is going to do everything in his power to rid the BRF of Andrew the moment he can.
YEP. There is no love lost between Charles and Andrew. He’s absolutely gone as soon as King Charles is crowned.
Chuck seems to be getting his ducks in a row for his eventual crowning. I wonder how he’ll handle the Harry & Meghan situation.
This will probably be an unpopular opinion, but I was disappointed to read this. Not that a settlement was reached; I agree with everyone that Virginia has been through the wringer and deserves some peace. But I really wish she would have forced Andrew to admit wrongdoing and make a specific apology for what he did to her in this statement. Virginia said all she wanted was for him to be held to account, and this doesn’t feel like that’s what this is.
(Idk if that last sentence makes sense— need some more caffeine)
@Lorelei: This case was never going to go to trial. Andrew was only complying with the court’s ruling and posturing for the press. This was always going to be outcome.
@AmyBee I never said anything about going to trial; we all knew that was not likely to happen. I said I just wished that she’d required him to admit wrongdoing in his statement, which he did not.
@TeamMeg, yes, ITA with your comment! He skirts admitting any guilt —that’s what’s bothering me, too.
That part did bother me too, but I also thought it would never happen. They will pay anything to never admit fault.
@Lorelei I just basically made the same comment down below! I’m with you. (LOL–There were only 3 comments when i started writing mine—and it ended up posting at #27. The bitches are buzzing with this news!)
Andrew makes it seems as if he’s settling and given her money because he regrets his association with Epstein. It reads like “I feel so bad about what Epstein did to you and I can’t believe I was associated with him during the time he was doing those horrible things, so here is some money in support of your foundation”
No acknowledgement of what he personally did to her.
@Athena, EXACTLY. That’s exactly how it reads, and that’s why I feel as if he got off so easily. He didn’t have to admit any wrongdoing and the public will never learn how much he had to pay.
I absolutely understand that settlement amounts are often not revealed in these types of actions, but Virginia had the upper hand here. Andrew was the one with the most to lose; he was the one desperate to settle. So I wish she’d forced him to make a *real* apology, making it clear —without necessarily spelling out his exact actions, but worded in a way that makes it clear he’s acknowledging that Virginia has a solid case against him—that he owed her one due to his behavior toward her (I’m thinking the same sort of logic used in an Alford plea).
At the very least, if the settlement amount was made public, it would be harder for monarchists/Andrew supporters to claim his innocence because why would he pay millions upon millions of dollars to this woman if he was innocent? It’s basic common sense. So he got away with not having to admit any wrongdoing AND not having to admit how much he had to pay because her case against him was so strong. And I don’t understand why.
Virginia has been through hell and back and I admire her immensely. It just seemed that right now, she held all of the cards, and I wish he’d been forced to admit guilt and apologize directly to her.
Good for Virginia. However I hope that the Pedo doesn’t think he can be ‘rehabilitated’ and go back to his old life. I hope I never see him pushing his way to the front of the balcony for Eg at Trooping of the Color. He needs to disappear entirely from public life.
I don’t think a return to public life is in the cards. Charles was looking for way to get rid of his brother and Andrew did it all by himself.
Virginia you are a bad A$$ !!!! This was a profound victory and the world now sees even the rich can be made accountable
Good for Virginia–she can live her life vindicated after all of these years of Andrew & his enablers lying about her.
This makes sense with the “Charles banishes Andrew” story, too. After Andrew lied about shutting this down & especially after Maxwell’s conviction, I think Charles realized this needed to end before Andrew started lying under oath. Andy will wander the attics in Windsor while the rest of them try to survive Covid long enough to make it to the Jubbly.
Whoa, I was not expecting this today! So, do you really think millions of pounds to settle is equivalent to a “you should call Camilla a queen when I’m gone” statement? I mean, one is tangible, quantifiable, and gets Andy out of a humiliating public excoriation. The other was going to happen anyway.
I admit I’m disappointed because I wanted to see that humiliating public excoriation. But I recognize it’s Virginia’s choice, and if she is satisfied and feels she’s gotten some sort of closure, then Brava! Justice served. (Sort of. I do hope this permanently hits Andy where it hurts: his wallet and his reputation.)
Agree with Kaiser and others that I bet this was part of the Queen Camilla deal. Everything in that family is transactional. The Queen made the statement about Queen Camilla, and in return Charles “let” her give money to Andrew to settle the case.
I wanted to see Andrew sweat in a deposition and all that, but I don’t blame Virginia one iota for wanting to settle, especially since by all accounts she wanted to settle this a while ago and didn’t want to file suit.
100% a very obvious quid pro quo. The corruption is indescribable. The fakery.
@Becks1 – I think Charles paid the settlement.
I dont think he has the money to do that. the duchy of cornwall funds are audited in a way the lancaster funds are not. i think the queen paid.
@Becks et al: This is so interesting to me! I’m not disagreeing at all, I’m sure you’re right, but I’m just so confused by how a lukewarm statement about Camilla’s essentially meaningless title (which most of us don’t care about one way or another) is quid pro quo for a multimillion pound payout likely underwritten by the taxpayers. I get the argument that the stakeholders here are way out of touch. But don’t you think Charles should/would have asked for more? We all know he’s in charge now, couldn’t he have placed that awkward QC statement in the Queen’s press release all on his own, without giving anything up? I can see how settling this case benefits the BRF as a whole and why Charles might have supported it. It just doesn’t compute to me as a quid pro quo.
Well, I doubt it was the only quid for the quo, if that makes sense, LOL. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were other negotiations behind the scenes.
But to the extent this settlement has been discussed between virginia and andrew’s attorneys for likely weeks now, and the deposition date being set was a reminder that this wasn’t going to end well for Andrew, no matter what…..
my guess is that charles said to his mother, yes, you can pay so this goes away, but in return I want you to make a statement about Camilla and by the way, I call the shots now in the family.
I will say that as I’m thinking about this I wonder how much they had to force Andrew to settle. Like if charles had to sit down with him and say “settle this NOW, I’ll make sure Mummy gives you the money.”
Remember that camilla’s meaningless title isn’t meaningless to her, to Charles, or to the royal sphere in general.
@Becks: Yes I think you are right, I always underestimate how much these fakakta titles are “worth” to the people involved! I guess when you have all the money and privilege in the world you’re reduced to placing great value on rarified social signifiers. (And perhaps other things behind the scenes.)
WOW. Talk about timing. First Queen Camilla, now Andrew’s settlement. The BRF can now get on with the Jubbly and pretend it’s a problem-free symbol instead of an obsolete and deeply corrupt mechanism.
Virginia is bravery personified, and she will always be heroic for exposing Andrew.
And I am also curious about how The Firm handled the substantial ££££ spent for her settlement. Does Andrew have to give up Royal Lodge or surrender any clout?
(And I am also disappointed this didn’t get as far as the depositions and going to trial. His acknowledgment seems very tame.)
If it were a just world, Pedo would have to sell that lease to raise the cash. He won’t. He will probably live out his days there in comfort, berating his staff, and making sure all his teddy bears are placed *just so* on the bed.
As it is, we know Mummy found (or is) the buyer of the Swiss Chalet to pay that off and leave Pedo some cash, and of course, she will leave him some (as we assume PP did as well).
There will always be one set of “laws” for “them” and one for the rest of us.
We should know soon if the Royal Lodge was collateral in this deal. The Burger King will be shouting it out from the rooftops that he and Kate have “settled on” the Royal Lodge as their new family home.
Hmm, if they really did negotiate Royal Lodge for William and Kate then I can definitely see why Eugenie and Jack might be looking for a house in Cali. Have no idea if they actually are looking or not but it’s just fun to imagine.
I agree that Virginia probably needed to settle—I hope it was for a TON of money. I, too, am disappointed that we weren’t going to see Andrew testify in any way. I hope she can go on with her healing process.
Sounds like Prince A skirts actually admitting guilt with this settlement, though. Hunh.
I don’t blame VG for taking the deal. No question she’s been through hell from Day 1. If anyone deserves peace, it is she. But…this is not the outcome many of us were hoping for. In my perfect world, all of Epstein’s merry band of johns, beginning with Andrew, are forced to admit what they did, and they are publicly humiliated. Instead, this settlement illustrates how easily the rich can buy their way out of sh*t. Tell me something I didn’t know.
Adding insult to injury, the possibility that dastardly Charles exacted his own Queen Consort Camilla demands in exchange for supplying the settlement fee funds for his disgraced bro is sickening and despicable!! F these blackmailing inbred cretins. Totally disgusted.
Same! I totally understand why Virginia would accept a settlement as she’s been harassed from every side since this started. She deserves peace.
I also feel so horrified for our society that the majority of Epstein’s clients (like Alan Dershowitz!!) will never face a trial or settlement of any kind. This is just evil, evil, evil.
I really hope her organization blasts “Cheerio! An anonymous donation has been made to the tune of (insert settlement amount here). We are chuffed about this donation. It’s our favourite thing all day”
Just like really obviously British
Good for Virginia.
And may that family that is left on Salty Island burn and we have front row seats for it.
“Salty Island” is now getting to be a very tired and lazy and completely unfounded description of the UK. PLEASE do NOT confuse the British Media with British people, many of whom loath the royal family and totally support Harry and Meghan.
It’s just as apt as the horrifying descriptions of America, which as an American, I have to own. Even your legitimate media is in cahoots with the tabloids, and your legitimate media, plus your tabloid media, has driven Harry and Meghan out of the country with very little pushback from the public. Most of the British public seems to buy in to the smear campaign against Meghan, or are too apathetic to care.
The people in the UK who love Harry and Meghan and loathe the royal family are pretty damned quiet about it. Just as Trump became the face of America, even though the majority of Americans DID NOT vote for him, Brexit Britain with its racist tabloid media is the face of the UK right now. Complacency got the Uk and the US in the same boat, and now the populations of decent people in both places have to accept that and fight to change it in whatever way we can.
In the past two years I’ve heard every English person I know at one time or another spout tabloid talking points about Meghan, and how dreadful she is. Every single one. Mind you none of these people ‘read’ tabloids but something repeated enough is believed. I’m always surprised at how gullible people are. And I’m talking some are highly educated.
I wish she had gotten stronger messaging than “accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse…” but I hope she feels some vindication in having held his feet to the flames that he couldn’t resolve this and still lie that it never happened to her. It’s not as good as him admitting what he did, but confirming he knows she was abused and he did have a friendship with an abuser of women is a massive admission from his previous outright denials and attempts to rewrite history.
And I hope seeing it is possible to hold those “beyond reproach” to account helps other women who had it drilled into them that their abuser is “too powerful/rich/connected/etc” feel confident to come forward and seek that accountability if that’s what they want. (Not to mention I hope whatever the royal family donates fully funds those lawsuits and charges for the next century)
I hope we never see the likes of him and his grifting buffoon of an ex-wife in public again. I really hope Charles kicks them out of Royal Lodge and into some moldering heap of a place far far away. What a sickening excuse of a human being he is. The whole family is rotten to the core (excepting the Sussexes).
Was surprised when I heard she settled but then I saw that he made a donation and the whole “I never meant to ruin her character” or whatever, it made me go “ah that’s why”. But even if he didn’t do all that, it seems she has wanted to settle for a bit so yeah don’t blame her.
I get some aren’t going to like this but ultimately, this is Virginia’s decision and if this is what gives her peace then I can’t complain.
He may have settled with her, but this will NEVER leave the RF and I am exulting in that. Reporters in the US will be shouting Andy questions at King Chaz and his Queen Mistress for years, Andrew will forever be the rapist Prince, Queen Elizabeth II’s reign will have always ended with her buying her rapey boy’s hallpass. Just like William will now forever be known for rosebushing and “very much not” being “a racist family,” these are their legacies.
Telling me that you’re guilty without telling me that you’re guilty.
I wonder how much $$$ we’re talking here. I’m hoping that it was an insane amount of money.
Will that ever be revealed in any court documents to the public?
I find the language weak, I wish there was more of an admission of guilt but at least I hope Virginia is satisfied with it.
What I wonder is if now that there’s a financial settlement any of the other women he assaulted will come out, because you know Virginia is not the only one.
Just as a general comment since I see lots of people making the same statement about “wishing there was more of an admission of guilt” – there was never going to be that admission, not publicly, and if Virginia had insisted on that the settlement probably never would have happened. As it is, acknowledging that Epstein trafficked many girls and he was associated with Epstein and Virginia is a victim is as close as we’re going to get.
Is it at all possible that in exchange for the settlement money, Andrew was told he needed to tell the truth to Charles and admit guilt privately to clear the air and move forward to possibly regain his cherished military titles? Is the settlement cash a buyout for the lease on Royal Lodge? Is this partly why Harry offered Eugenie and Jack and baby safe harbor while the shit hits the fan? My imagination is running wild as there is a lot more to this story.
@Julia K – Charles does not want to the ‘whole” truth from Andrew. It is in Charles’ best interest to discuss this whole filthy mess as little as possible with Andrew; as in NOT AT ALL.
@Becks, but if she’d refused to settle — or at least refused to settle without stronger language in the statement, as @Ace said above— wouldn’t that have resulted in Andrew being forced to sit for a deposition? THAT is what the BRF wanted to avoid at all costs. (Understandably, lmao.)
So I kind of don’t get the argument that he was never going to have to apologize to her, even in the event that a settlement was reached? The ball was in her court, so to speak, and it seemed like she was in the position to call the shots of any settlement agreement, if she did agree to settle with him- because Andrew is the one desperate for a settlement, not her.
VWhatever Virginia wishes to do, I wish her well and she has the right to conclude this how she wishes.
But the statement, like many settlement statements, doesn’t have Andrew acknowledging anything except that he once knew Epstein and that Virginia was a victim of Epstein. It’s all coming off as a settlement for him associating with Epstein instead of any admission of guilt. And while Charles hates Andrew and probably won’t be in any hurry to try to restore funding or titles etc to him, the family and their grey men will absolutely be able to build at least a partial rehabilitation of his reputation for the sake of the Crown on this. That’s the unfortunate aspect of the outcome.
Pizza boy will stay banished by the next King but I do expect Fergianna to come out again with a nauseating statement such as he’s the bested man ever and he’s given oodles to charity to save mummy any further heartache.
I think they have chosen today to bury bad news as we are on the eve of Ukraine invasion so they want reduced press coverage.
Interesting. Camilla gets to be queen and *poof* settlement arranged. 🤔
Nothing to see here y’all, so move along…
(I hope Virginia gets a whole shit ton of QE2’s money (cuz we ALL know who’s paying here) for all the crap she’s had to put up with and I hope hope hope the following plays out:
Virginia… “And don’t forget my attorneys fees and court costs”
Andrew: ” I don’t think…”
Virginia ” well scooter, since I don’t have the money in my account YET, we can still have a go at trial”
Andrew: ” and don’t forget to pay Virginia’s attorneys and court costs ”
Then I hope the bottom really REALLY falls out on Andrew, et. al
“Scooter” 😭
Glad it’s over for Virginia and hope she can find peace and move on with her life. While some of us may have wanted Prince Andrew deposed (AND sweating!), we shouldn’t underestimate the toll this has taken on VG and probably her family over the years. If it’s good enough for her, it’s good enough for me. I think Charles is going to keep Andrew on a tight leash and out of sight, especially once QE is no longer with us.
Virginia is such a bad*ss she has fought so hard!
Is it just me and my tinfoil tiara or is the timing of the visit of princess Eugenie and family to H&M interesting? Would Eugenie and Beatrice know in advance of the settlement and want to get the heck out of Dodge? I don’t think I’d want to be in London/Windsor while the country is a-buzzing about my dad. I’d want to be somewhere quiet with people that appreciate me, peace out under a tree while the settlement is dissected.
@Teagirl that’s my suspicions too. They knew this was coming and Andrew had a sit down with the family and let them know. I wouldn’t be surprised if the agreement to pay this off came along with the condition of Andrew agreeing to give up Royal Lodge (and it goes to the Cambridges. There has been too much chatter about this. )
@Arralethe
Ooops! Sowwy, @Arralethe, you wont see this transaction in the RF annual accnts. Surely you know better than that?! Tht money will come from betty’s (or more likely charles’) personal stash.
This is the quid pro quo we spk abt. Charles paid for the ransom note that betty signed, making cowmilla queen consort.
Now we know why the word rape was pulled out of the story about Eugenie and Harry at the super bowl.
Yet every single disgusting slur ever printed about Meghan remains.
What I would like to know will his titles and patroneges be quietly reinstanted now? All he admitted to was being in the company of a bad man. And no personal wrong doing on his part.
His patronages don’t want him back/attached to their names/causes.
His patronages won’t touch him with a 10 foot pole now. Nobody wants to be tainted by association.
I’m failing to see the need for a transaction to pay for the settlement and TQ’s declaration that she approves of Camilla as QC.
As soon as the chalet was “sold” we confirmed what was going down. Unless TQ is unable to approve transactions, we knew mum was going to handle the settlement. TQ has more than enough personal wealth to ensure PA lives comfortably for the rest of his life. He won’t be able to live a royal life again, so what was the win for TQ with the Camilla statement?
The only problem with that is that anything NOT passed down, “monarch to monarch” comes with HUGE tax consequences. Liz had to have struck a deal with Chaz to get this fudged around with this (ie: putting Pedo on a nice, juicy allowance), so that Pedo will have a sizable income for the rest of his disreputable days.
@JRenee: I’m with you here. Not seeing the value in the transaction.
I’m sure she can afford it, but it’s likely her assets have to be shuffled around to free up the settlement amount. Maybe Charles is a trustee of some of these accounts, so it’s necessary to get his sign off. Either way, I find it hard to imagine Charles, who essentially runs a shadow regency, hasn’t taken control of Elizabeth’s finances. Everything might be in Liz’s name, but the person actually overseeing her money has to be Charles.
That’s my guess, at least.
Andrew with be with the petty queen for Philips memorial, and if she is still around he will be at the jubbly, on the balcony, and probably with uniform and medals. Just a hunch.
He won’t be on the balcony. He’ll be right outside the window, cowing in the back, with his toes on the balcony so he can say to mummy that “he was there” without incurring the wrath of others.
I doubt we will see Andrew publicly at Phillip’s memorial either.
He’s not going to be seen in public ever again unless it’s a grainy pap photo of him driving his $100K Bentley at Balmoral. He’s a total pariah from now on. Fergie’s in the same boat. They’re both toast.
Wow, you guys are all far more optimistic than I am…I hope I’m wrong, I’d love to be wrong this time!, but I absolutely think he’s going to at least attempt to slowly slither back— he’ll never be restored to exactly the place he was before; none of his patronages will ever want him again, for example — but I don’t think he’ll go away quietly no matter what he had to say to Charles in order to make this happen now.
Kudos, Virginia! A member of one of the most powerful families on Earth thought you were a disposable nothing, existing only for his pleasure. And you shook that noxious, entitled man, his family, and the institution that props their whole game up to the core.
I can’t think of another case in history that compares to what Virginia has achieved.
Do not hold you breath but Letitia James, N.Y. Attorney General, is working on a much bigger case. LOL! LOL!
I really feel bad for Harry. The whole firm was strongly behind the rapist prince but all Harry did was marry a half black American. Nobody supported him when he almost lost his wife and unborn child. In fact they all benefitted from the abuse and polished their profiles.
I’m going to stan the true Queen Virginia today!
Yeah, he did. Would you look at that! And just think, this private settlement could have been reached years ago before this went public, before he further disgraced his family and position.
Andrew, you sure smeared that shit everywhere – for no reason.
Congratulations Virginia!
Yikes. From a legal sense, crudely, Prince Andrew was bent over a barrel. ALL those concessions/statements from him and NOTHING from her in return. Damn. Go Virginia, go! She made all the oldest old boy network sweat. I hope she sees many, many zeros in his funds transfer.
I hope she is able to speak and have her voice heard.
I hope Virginia gets the peace she deserves.
The Windsors are not out of the PR woods yet. As it stands settlement = admission of guilt in the court of public opinion. Comments are coming hard, demanding that UK tax dollars are not used in the settlement. I think Charles is going to exact more from Andrew; in fact all of House York may pay.
Andrew’s daughters certainly shouldn’t have to pay for their father’s actions, but considering the way we’ve seen Charles treat his own son, I’m not holding out hope that he’ll treat his nieces fairly or kindly.
Alls I’m seeing is an old lady pulling her coin purse out of her industrial strength bra and passing her favorite a quarter and a peppermint.
You’ve got to love this 💩. Mommy’s favorite comes crying “save me; save me.” Moma says “I’ll try” then turns to the least favored and says “help him; find out what is needed to save him.” The least favored asks “why should I help him?” Moma says, with a raised eyebrow, “because I told you to do so. Plus, you either handle the scandal now or you handle it during your reign, which will be much more unpopular than mine. Hmm.” The real power plays and negotiations have now begun.
The least favored comes back and says “Money. They want money to make this go away.” The favorite says “pay em mummy’; please make this go away.” Mummy pats her favorite on the knee, assuring him that they will but ultimately must concede. “He—pointing to the least favorite—“controls the purse strings. We must now pay his price.” The least favored says “I’m glad you finally recognize who is in control. These are my demands. #1 & #2 must be met publicly. #s 3 – 10 can be handled privately.” Cough. Cough. Cough.
Loved this.
Paula H., Your definition of guilty is succinctly and beautifully said. I’m very curious how much he actually paid her. 3 million, 5 million, 10 million, more? Again, just curiosity. I hope he paid a lot for her victims’ charity, too. Most importantly I hope Virginia can attain peace and happiness forevermore.
I can only imagine Brettler’s behind-the-scenes sigh of relief that he’s no longer representing Prince “I let Fergie sit in on my meetings with my attorneys thereby obliterating attorney-client privilege” Andrew.
*raises hand* I have questions….
First, how could Charles prevent the Queen from using her own funds to pay off VG? He wouldn’t be able to stop her, would he? Maybe he threatened leaks or something?
Is that the only statement that will be released? Or will Andrew put something else out?
Do you think VG had to sign an NDA?
If he’s smart he won’t say anything else, but this is Andrew we’re talking about here. That’s the only input I’ve got.
My speculation is triggered by the speed of recent events since the start of the Queen’s Jubilee February 6th.
In this rapid Jubilee tempo (Queen already settled Camilla’s queen consort title and Virginia’s lawsuit within nine days!!) could we expect in March that all Caribbean countries of which the Queen is Head of State will be offered some sort of colonial-damages-settlement worth millions of pounds in exchange for accepting Charles as their next Head of State? I would not be surprised. He is already Head of the Commonwealth and needs to uphold his status.
William & Kate’s 12 days Carribean tour in March makes more sense to me now. I think they may present such settlements on their tour in the form of a stimulus package to boost the Carribean economies.
I expect an expensive businesstour with a lot of extravaganza and extreme sycophantic reporting by the royal rota. It will be over the top!
I wonder if Harry and Eugenie’s surprising Superbowl appearance also was an orchestrated attempt by the Queen and Charles to break the ice with the Sussexes in order to negotiate a better relationship between their courts. Eugenie in the role of royal ambassador?
All ‘n all behind the scenes Charles (with the Queen’s help) is consolidating his power to ensure that the monarchy doesn’t fall apart before/after he takes the throne. And the Queen is wrapping things up, solving problems to preserve the Crown, knowing that her time is short.
Kate will probably sing and dance and call attention to herself on the tour. William will look “compassionate.”
I completely understand and support Virginia settling. I just wish he would have had to at least admit meeting her, considering the gaslighting about photographic evidence. It feels like he’s escaping true accountability, which is all too familiar when it comes to the wrongdoing of powerful men. I honestly cried reading this because it’s a painful reminder that a woman who is violated, even if it’s not by a public figure, all too often doesn’t receive true justice. It’s hard moving through this world as a woman.
This family just stay losing these court cases eh! They are cursed.
Royal Blue, the RF is a curse to others.
you definitely said it better.
The Telegraph said Andrew paid 12 million pounds (over 16 million dollars). However, I’m not sure of a) the accuracy and b) and if that includes his payment to Virginia and her charity or to her separately. Eventually it will come out, I’m sure. People want to know.
Lol. Maybe this is why we’re getting stories that Operation Tinsel Crown is going to be a budget affair.
Who cares about true financial cost as long as it:
a) was acceptable to Virginia (and her VERY supportive husband), and
b) came out of BRF savings rather than any current accounts (which arguably belong to British taxpayers).
Lot of money to be paid to someone you’ve never met, but the statement preserves his ability to claim that the photo was faked (which is an absolute absurdity), which the British media and Tom Sykes parrot as they are told to.
Blujfly, The original photo was once in the possession of the FBI in their pursuit of the sex traffickers. Why wouldn’t it be possible for the FBI to substantiate that the photo was real (since as investigators it is part of their job to evaluate and validate evidence)? The photo was later lost, but surely its authenticity was established by the FBI. It is just bullshit that this man and his enablers (family and press) are eluding truth and justice so blatantly and still smearing poor Virginia. It makes my blood boil.
This is where I’m at. David Boies said that Virginia was bothered by the fact that Andrew said he’d never met her and the photo was a fake. Andrew’s statement obviously was negotiated down to every word. But Andrew couldn’t let it go. He is gaslighting her by making this photo some sort of a big deal at the last minute. His team went to all his lapdog media people and had them make this sound like something. When it’s nothing. Damn Tom Sykes, regurgitating this sh*t like it means something. Whew, I hope you get some leaks down the road for that embarrassment. Take the money and run, Virginia. These people are despicable.
The FBI may not have specifically authenticated like that because the allegation it is fake is completely and entirely made up, and was only made up after 2020. They would have just authenticated it was in Virginia’s possession and she was the one in the photo and had her identify the others. The allegation that Andrew’s hands don’t look like that and therefore the whole photo is faked defies belief and was invented for a British public relatively unfamiliar with the Epstein case, who may be more prone to believing that out of all of the famous and powerful men Epstein was involved with, it is little known Prince Andrew against whom Virginia would fabricate a claim. It is as absurd as claiming you were at a Pizza Express in Woking but with no witnesses (it would be like seeing Henry Kissinger walk into a Pizza Hut or Cici’s and not a single person seeing him) or that you are incapable of sweating.
The infamous picture does not show a crime in progress. It just shows people at a party. The problem with the picture is that it shows people from different social classes embracing (odd) while Maxwell is in the scene. There’s no innocent explanation. As for FBI verification, Prince Andrew has been avoiding the FBI forever.
As long as mommie is paying, with the commoners their money, all is well
While most of us wanted to see Nonce’s depo, I’m glad for Virginia’s sake this is almost over.
So in the end karma came for Andrew. Not in the form of being found guilty in a court case, but through almost all he holds dear being taken away: HRH, public position, patronages. I expect Charles will have a tight reign (ha) over his finances and for him to be banished to the Outer Hebrides never to be seen again (or maybe North Rona Island: a remote, uninhabited Scottish island in the North Atlantic)
(Frees up Royal Lodge for Buttons too)
I’ve finally unsubbed from that trash bag, the guardian. They really disgust me by their lies and bots. Especially about the royals. They are as bad as the mail. Same talking points.
I wish they were called out for their lies. As a rape victim at 14 this whole story triggers me so much. Ahd I’m still not believed.
I still can’t post here under my ip (there are several people here who follow cb on our share house and post so all same ips but we can’t post. I guess someone did wrong. Would love to fix it)