Prince Andrew sex abuse settlement will be ‘very large sum of money’

Questions over how Duke will fund bill which reports suggest could top £10m

Prince Andrew’s settlement Virginia Giuffre is likely to amount to “a very large sum of money,” a leading commentator has said, amid reports the royal’s legal bill could top £10m.

The Duke of York has agreed to make a "substantial donation" to Virginia Giuffre's charity after the pair agreed an undisclosed out-of-court settlement in her civil sex claim against him.

Joshua Rozenberg QC told Sky News: “We’re looking at a very large sum of money, particularly when you add the legal costs involved.

“The amount she got from Jeffrry Epstein was half a million dollars. I'm not saying that is a guide to this, but it is certainly a substantial sum of money which Prince Andrew will have to raise.

“I suppose if it is being paid to a charity then at some point the amount may come out. The word substantial is used by lawyers on both sides of the Atlantic as a phrase that can mean a wide range of things. It can mean a large, very large, enormous, huge, it all depends where you start from.”

The Duke of York has agreed to make a ‘substantial donation’ to Virginia Giuffre’s charity (AP)

The legal expert added: “It is not surprising that nobody wants to admit to it [the size of the settlement] because obviously it is in Virginia Giuffre’s interests to imply that it is a large as possible, and in Prince Andrew’s interest to imply it is as small as possible, and that is why it has not been disclosed.”

Unconfirmed reports suggest the settlement could be in excess of £10m, though neither side has commented on the figure.

Although the parties have settled the case, the agreement is not an admission of guilt from the duke and he has always strenuously denied the allegations against him (Neil Hall/PA)

Whatever the sum, it is unclear how the prince will pay it or whether the taxpayer could foot any of the bill.

There was speculation last month that Andrew was putting his ski lodge in the Swiss resort of Verbier up for sale, which is valued at £17m.

Although the parties have settled the case, the agreement is not an admission of guilt from the duke and he has always strenuously denied the allegations against him.

Representatives of the duke said they would not be commenting further than what was said in the documents submitted to the court.

Andrew's representatives also declined to comment on how the substantial donation to Ms Giuffre's charity would be funded.

Buckingham Palace has also remained silent on the source of the money.

Donal McCabe, the Queen’s private communications secretary, told The Independent: “We have never commented on the funding of the Duke’s legal matters and won’t be now.”