Queen, Prince Charles put 'intense pressure' on Prince Andrew to settle case

Prince Andrew was said to have faced “intense pressure” from his mother Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles to reach a “settlement in principle” with Virginia Giuffre, his accuser.

Speaking to Mirror, a source shared that the royal family did not want Prince Andrew’s sexual abuse case to go for a trial and in order to prevent further damage pressurised the Duke of York for a settlement.

According to documents, it is understood that he will pay £12 million to Virginia in order to prevent further embarrassment.

For the unversed, Virginia accused the Duke of York of sexually abusing her when she was 17. 

“It was made absolutely crystal clear to Andrew he has to sort this mess out," the source said. 

“It would have been unthinkable for the case to have reached trial under the glare of the international media.

“It has been a disaster from the start and everyone was in agreement it had not only destroyed his reputation but had the capacity to seriously damage that of the monarchy as well. In such an important year for the Queen, enough was enough.”

The publication also reported that Andrew was “under intense pressure from the very top”.