Queen Elizabeth II privately contributed more than £9 million toward Prince Andrew's 2022 settlement with accuser Virginia Giuffre, according to a new royal biography and reporting cited by The Sun, adding fresh scrutiny to the financial and personal dynamics behind one of the most damaging scandals in modern royal history.
The claims, detailed in a forthcoming book by royal historian Hugo Vickers, suggest the late monarch bore a significant portion of the estimated £12 million settlement reached after Giuffre accused Andrew of sexual assault when she was 17. Andrew has consistently denied all allegations, and the case was resolved out of court in February 2022 without any admission of liability.
The financial breakdown cited in the report indicates multiple royal sources contributed to the settlement.
- More than £9 million reportedly from Queen Elizabeth II
- Approximately £4 million linked to the estate of Prince Philip
- Around £2 million attributed to then-Prince Charles
These figures have not been officially confirmed by Buckingham Palace or Andrew's representatives, and the precise funding structure remains undisclosed.
Vickers' account emphasizes the monarch's personal distress over the situation. "Andrew's problems caused the queen considerable distress in the last years of her life," he writes, describing a period marked by reputational crisis and internal family concern.
Despite the mounting public scrutiny, Vickers asserts that the Queen did not accept the substance of the allegations. "Despite his car-crash interview on Newsnight, and other apparent revelations, the queen did not believe he had behaved improperly," he writes, referring to Andrew's widely criticized 2019 BBC interview with journalist Emily Maitlis.
That interview, in which Andrew denied knowing Giuffre and questioned the authenticity of a photograph showing them together, triggered immediate backlash and led to his withdrawal from public royal duties. The episode has since become a defining moment in the royal family's modern public relations challenges.
The biography also portrays the Queen as exploring ways to stabilize Andrew's future. Vickers writes that she considered establishing a foundation for him to manage, reflecting concerns about his long-term role after his removal from official duties.
The settlement itself remains a focal point of debate. A source quoted by The Sun claimed, "Andrew's not paid back a penny," raising questions about whether the funds were structured as loans or gifts and whether repayment was ever expected.
Another line cited in the report underscores criticism of the agreement's implications: "The money from the royal family bought her silence but denied Virginia her day in court and the chance to openly challenge his account of what happened." Neither Buckingham Palace nor Andrew has publicly addressed these claims.
The case continues to resonate beyond the royal family. Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, died by suicide in April 2025 at age 41. Her family said she had "lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking."
