Prince Andrew is hoping to overturn his sex abuse deal. Photo / BBC
Prince Andrew is hoping to overturn his sex abuse deal. Photo / BBC
Disgraced royal Prince Andrew is set to attempt to overturn the settlement he reached with Virginia Roberts after her allegations of sexual assault.
The Duke of York consulted lawyers in an attempt to get Robert’s allegations retracted, possibly secure an apology and overturn the multimillion-dollar settlement, according toThe Mail on Sunday.
The Duke was allegedly inspired to take action after Roberts dropped her lawsuit against another man she accused of sexual assault, after realising she “may have made a mistake” when trying to identify him.
Sources also suggest King Charles won’t oppose Andrew taking legal action to attempt to clear his name – despite previously telling his younger brother he was permanently removed from royal life.
Roberts – who now goes by her married name Giuffre – claimed she was forced to have sex with the Prince when she was 17 after she was trafficked by convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew however accepted to blame and denies any wrongdoing, despite reaching an out-of-court settlement.
But the allegations left him stripped of his military titles and asked not to use his HRH title.
But those close to the Duke say he always wanted to fight the allegations in court and was talking into agreeing to a deal by the palace who feared the bad publicity would overshadow the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
“Andrew felt as if he was in a pressure cooker, as if he was given no option but to settle,” a source told The Mail on Sunday. “But he never wanted to settle and has always insisted he was innocent. He wants to see what legal routes might be available to him.
Prince Andrew and Virginia Roberts, now Virginia Giuffre. Photo / Supplied
“This isn’t about the money. He wants a route back to some sort of normality after a deeply trying period. I can tell you with confidence that Prince Andrew’s team is now considering legal options.”
News of his planned attempt to overturn comes as disgraced Ghislaine Maxwell gave her first filmed interview from the Florida jail where she is serving a 20-year sentence for her part in luring teenage girls to Epstein to abuse.
In the conversation, to air on TalkTV, she said the claims against her “dear friend” Andrew are baseless. Her statement is also said to have influenced his decision to challenge the settlement.
It was originally reported that Giuffre received up to $14 million, with $3 million more going to a sex trafficking charity of her choosing.
But the sum paid has never been actually revealed and insiders close to the negotiations say a deal closer to $5 million was struck. The Queen is also said to have contributed to the settlement.
