Papers filed in the US mark the end of the civil action brought by Virginia Giuffre.
Image source, Virginia Roberts
The Duke of York is paying the financial settlement to his accuser Virginia Giuffre and formally ending a civil case brought against him in the US, according to court documents.
“Stipulation of Dismissal” papers have been filed, which will bring an end to the civil sex assault case.
The amount agreed to be paid by Prince Andrew in the settlement last month has not been revealed.
But the court documents say each side will “bear her/his own costs and fees”.
The latest court papers say that the case can now be dismissed, according to the terms of the deal reached between Prince Andrew and Ms Giuffre.
When the judge in New York, Lewis Kaplan, signs the order, this high-profile legal claim will be completely ended.
The settlement accepted no liability and Prince Andrew has always strongly rejected claims of wrongdoing.
But the prince has agreed to pay an unspecified amount to Ms Giuffre and to her charity for victims’ rights.
There has been speculation about how Prince Andrew might afford the settlement, which could cost millions of dollars.
There had been suggestions he would use funds from the sale of a luxury ski chalet in Switzerland – but the sale has not been completed, according to Prince Andrew’s representatives.
In a statement accompanying last month’s settlement, Prince Andrew had said he “never intended to malign Ms Giuffre’s character” and he recognised she had “suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks”.
The duke also pledged to “demonstrate his regret for his association” with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
In the wake of the claims, Prince Andrew lost military titles and royal patronages as well as the use of the title His Royal Highness.