- Sources have told The Telegraph that the Queen will be asked to pay Prince Andrew's settlement should he lose.
- It is understood that the monarch, his mother, is currently paying his legal fees.
- The Prince is currently waiting on a ruling to see if he can have his case dismissed.
Queen Elizabeth II will be asked to help Prince Andrew financially if he agrees to a multi-million dollar settlement with Virginia Giuffre, The Telegraph reports.
Virginia Giuffre has accused Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17 years old as part of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking ring.
The Telegraph understands that the Queen – who is already funding the Duke of York's legal battle — will pay towards it.
The Telegraph also understands that the cost of a settlement could be in the region of £5 million ($6.794 million).
The Queen has funded Prince Andrew's legal fees since he appointed a lawyer in February 2021, after a grueling BBC interview focusing on his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew has made multiple attempts to block or delay Giuffre lawsuit with the help of a legal team the Queen is reportedly privately paying for, most recently claiming a 2009 settlement between Giuffre and Epstein protects him from litigation.
To also fund some of the fees, the Duke is selling his $23 million Swiss Ski chalet, which he owns with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
Prince Andrew has repeatedly and strenuously denied any allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct.
He is currently awaiting a ruling from Judge Lewis Kaplan to see if he can have the civil case dismissed.
Both the Duke and his lawyer Andrew Brettler, have argued that a civil suit against him runs counter to the $500,000 (£370,000) release agreement Giuffre entered with Epstein in 2009.
Should Judge Kaplan not rule in the Duke's favor, and if the settlement does progress, the next stage will involve Prince Andrew being interviewed under oath by Giuffre's legal team. He will also present personal evidence including text messages, diaries, and emails, and those close to him will have to testify.
However, whilst the current focus of the lawsuit is a potential settlement, insiders tell The Telegraph the Giuffre may not want to settle, as she believes accepting money would not "advance the message" of holding sexual abusers to account.