The Giuffre Case, 2021–2022
A civil lawsuit filed in New York, a failed bid to dismiss it, and an out-of-court settlement with no admission of liability. The reported facts — and only the reported facts.
The allegations Allegation
Virginia Giuffre alleged that Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell trafficked her to Andrew, and that she had sex with him on three occasions — in London in 2001 (when she was 17), in New York, and on Little Saint James in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She alleged Epstein paid her $15,000 after the London encounter. These are allegations. Andrew unequivocally denied them; his lawyers’ October 2021 filing stated he “unequivocally denies Giuffre’s false allegations.”
The lawsuit On the record
- August 2021: Giuffre sues Andrew in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, accusing him of sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
- 29 October 2021: Andrew’s lawyers file their response denying the allegations.
- Andrew’s team argues the case should be dismissed because Giuffre’s confidential 2009 settlement with Epstein barred her from suing other potential defendants.
- 12 January 2022: Judge Lewis A. Kaplan rejects the bid to dismiss, allowing the lawsuit to proceed toward trial.
The palace acts — 13 January 2022 On the record
The day after the judge’s ruling, Buckingham Palace issues a terse announcement: Andrew’s military affiliations and royal patronages are returned to the Queen, to be redistributed; he will defend the case as a private citizen; he will no longer use the style “His Royal Highness” in any official capacity. His social-media accounts are deleted and his royal.uk page is rewritten in the past tense.
Note the precision, because it is widely misreported: the dukedom was not touched; “HRH” was not used, not formally removed (that came in November 2025).
The settlement — 15 February 2022 On the record
The parties’ lawyers write jointly to Judge Kaplan: they have reached a settlement in principle. The attached joint statement reads, in full:
“Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed). Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights. Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.”
What the settlement was: an out-of-court agreement ending a civil case, with an undisclosed sum and a charitable donation. What it was not: an admission of liability (none was made), a finding of fact (none was issued), or a criminal proceeding (it never was one).
The case was formally dismissed the following month.
The aftermath Reported
- Press estimates put the total cost around £12 million; the figure was never confirmed and is not stated here as fact. It was reported that the Queen contributed to the settlement funds.
- In June 2022, Labour MP Rachael Maskell introduced a private member’s bill that would have enabled the monarch or a parliamentary committee to strip aristocratic titles — it did not progress.
- Giuffre died by suicide in Australia in April 2025, as reported by major outlets. Her posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl, was published in October 2025 — the month the palace moved to remove Andrew’s remaining titles.
Source notes
- Allegations: the 30 December 2014 Florida filing and Giuffre’s subsequent statements; labeled as allegations throughout.
- Lawsuit filings and dates: the SDNY docket; Judge Kaplan’s 12 January 2022 ruling; the 15 February 2022 joint letter and statement (text as filed).
- 13 January 2022 palace announcement: Buckingham Palace; HRH/military/patronage details as announced.
- Settlement-characterization: the joint statement’s own terms — no admission of liability; sum not disclosed.
- Cost estimates and the Queen’s reported contribution: press reporting, unattributed here beyond “reported.”
- Maskell bill (June 2022): Commons record; did not progress. Giuffre’s death and memoir: reported April and October 2025.