Prince Andrew warned plot to overturn £3m settlement with Giuffre 'not going to happen'
The Duke of York is said to be building a £10m "war chest" to reopen his battle with Virginia Giuffre who had pursued a civil case against him for sexual assault.
By Jack Walters, Christopher Bucktin, Alice Scarsi
01:13, Mon, Jan 23, 2023 | UPDATED: 09:59, Mon, Jan 23, 2023
Prince Andrew has been warned to "forget" about his plot to overturn his settlement with Virginia Giuffre, reportedly amounting to £3million. Prominent US lawyers appeared to reject the prospect of the Duke of York reopening his civil lawsuit.
Spencer Kuvin, a lawyer who represents some of the victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, said: "It is unbelievable how desperate Prince Andrew is. His chances of overturning a negotiated and agreed settlement are just about as much as Epstein coming back to life."
Lisa Bloom, another lawyer who also represents a number of Epstein's victims, said the late Queen's second son should just "forget" about it and "man up".
She added: "Prince Andrew was represented by experienced, respected counsel. He signed his name to a settlement that was surely carefully negotiated. And now he wants out? Not going to happen. Nor should it."
However, the Duke of York is said to have been inspired to act after Ms Giuffre dropped a defamation lawsuit against another man.
Ms Guiffre recently said she "may have made a mistake" in identifying US lawyer and professor Alan Dershowitz as one of the men Epstein had trafficked her to.
Mr Dershowitz has always vehemently denied allegations against him.
To overturn his out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre, which sources claimed his lawyers negotiated down from the previously reported £12million to around £3million, the Duke of York would have to file a "motion to vacate the stipulation of settlement".
He would need to prove such things as a mistake, accident, fraud or duress took place.
Ms Giuffre launched a civil lawsuit against the Duke of York in the summer of 2021, accusing the royal of sexual assault while she was aged 17 and being trafficked by Epstein.
The Duke has always vehemently denied any wrongdoing and, in an interview with Newsnight in November 2019, he had claimed to have no recollection of ever meeting Ms Giuffre.
Andrew and Ms Giuffre's case was dismissed in early 2022, after the Duke of York agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to the 39-year-old, a move which did not signal he accepted any liability.
A few weeks prior, as he was facing trial in the US, Andrew had returned his military and royal patronages to Queen Elizabeth II.
Buckingham Palace said in January 2022: "With the Queen's approval and agreement, the Duke of York's military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to the Queen.
"The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."
The Duke has since made only a handful of public appearances, mostly linked to paying tribute to his late parents, and hasn't used his HRH style.
Express.co.uk has approached Prince Andrew's spokesperson for comment.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1724829/prince-Andrew-settlement-Virginia-giuffre-lawyers-latest-news-ont