Queen rescues Andrew with £2m for sex scandal settlement: Report

Queen Elizabeth II has helped favourite son Prince Andrew in payout to sex scandal accuser Virginia Giuffre, reports Mirror.co.uk.

The monarch arranged a £2m deal with Andrew's team of lawyers, which stated that the 95-year-old will help the Duke only if she was not connected to any personal payment to Ms Giuffre. The financial help has thus transferred to the Duke in shape of donation for Mr Giuffre's charity.

The Queen has also decided to not strip Andrew of his remaining titles, including Queen’s Counsellor of State, Duke of York and his rank of Vice-Admiral.

A royal source said: “She could not be seen to be making a payment to a victim of sexual assault, who accused her son of being an abuser.

“But a deal was structured in such a way to arrange a sizeable financial contribution to the settlement by way of a charitable donation instead.”

Britons are concerned if Andrew's £12million payout would be funded by taxpayer money and demand the payment to be through personal funds.  

David McClure, author of The Queen’s True Worth, told the Mirror: “The sums involved in Prince Andrew’s settlement are extraordinary so the public do have a right to know if public money, or indeed the Queen’s personal funds, were used. But I wouldn’t hold your breath.”