18 October 2025 , 20:02
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An MP has urged the royal family to clarify how Prince Andrew paid for a settlement in the sexual abuse lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre.
Rachael Maskell, who represents York Central, said there needs to be “a great deal of transparency” about the reported £12m payment made in 2022.
Maskell has for years pressed for Andrew to be stripped of his Duke of York title following revelations about his ties to the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew announced on Friday that he would no longer use the title, though he will officially keep the dukedom, which can only be taken away by an act of parliament.
Giuffre was 41 when she died by suicide in April. She said Epstein abused her from the age of 16 and trafficked her to other powerful men. She filed a civil suit against Andrew in New York, alleging he sexually assaulted her three times when she was 17.
Andrew did not admit liability and has consistently denied Giuffre’s allegations, but he agreed to settle the case out of court. The Telegraph reported on Saturday that, as part of the agreement, Giuffre agreed not to restate her accusations for a year to avoid casting a shadow over Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee.
There have long been rumours that the late queen helped fund the settlement using private income from the Duchy of Lancaster, a property portfolio controlled by reigning monarchs since medieval times.
Maskell said: “I believe we need much more clarity on this. Honesty is crucial. Virginia Giuffre is no longer with us, but she has family. It’s vital that everyone has transparency. There is no room for obfuscation, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.”
Andrew continues to reside in the palatial 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor, despite having no obvious income beyond a naval pension. He holds a 75-year lease on the property and is responsible for its upkeep. He has reportedly resisted the king’s efforts to move him to nearby Frogmore Cottage.
In a statement released on Friday, Andrew said he chose to give up his titles after a discussion with the king, where it was “concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the royal family”.
He will also cease using his honours as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) and a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. His only remaining title will be prince, which cannot be removed as he was born the son of a queen.
Maskell, who lost the Labour whip in July after rebelling on welfare policy, previously introduced a bill to give the monarch powers to strip titles either independently or following a recommendation from a joint parliamentary committee.
She said she would seek to reintroduce the bill to parliament next week, indicating she had backing from other MPs. Maskell added: “We uphold very high values in [York]. When polling was carried out in 2022, 80% of residents said they did not want that title to continue because of its association with our city. That’s why I have remained resolute.”
Last weekend, the Mail on Sunday and the Sun on Sunday reported that Andrew contacted Epstein the day after a photo of him with his arm around a teenage Giuffre appeared in the press. In 2019, Andrew told then BBC journalist Emily Maitlis in his infamous Newsnight interview that he had cut ties with Epstein by that point. The newspapers cited an email in which Andrew reportedly told Epstein: “I’m just as concerned for you! Don’t worry about me! It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it. Otherwise keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!”
Speaking to the BBC on Friday, Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, called Andrew’s decision to give up his titles a “joyous moment”. He added: “I think her kids would be incredibly proud to know that their mom is an American hero. She’s an international hero. That all the years of work that she put in is now coming to some sort of justice and these monsters can’t escape from it.”
The Epstein accuser Haley Robson described the news as “extremely bittersweet”. She told the BBC: “I have moments of joyous tears where I’m just flabbergasted that something finally broke.”
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