Britain's Prince Andrew has reached an agreement to settle claims that he sexually assaulted a teenage girl, his accuser’s lawyer said in a court filing on Tuesday.
Virginia Giuffre had claimed the British prince was one of several men to whom Jeffrey Epstein “lent” her for abuse.
The amount of the settlement has not been disclosed, but requires Andrew to make “a substantial donation” to Ms Giuffre’s charity that supports victim’s rights.
It has been reported that the total amount that will go to Ms Giuffre and her charity exceeds £12 million ($16m).
The Queen has already privately funded the Duke's legal fight to the tune of millions of pounds and will now partly fund the settlement to allow her son – and the entire royal family – to call a close to the case.
The agreement was announced in a letter to US Federal Judge Lewis A Kaplan by Ms Giuffre’s lawyer, David Boies, who said it was on behalf of both parties.
The letter said: “We write jointly with counsel for defendant to advise the court that the parties reached a settlement in principle of the above-referenced action.”
It goes on to say the parties involved plan to file a “stipulation of dismissal of the case” within 30 days.
"Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks," the filing said.
The letter, signed by Mr Boies, concludes: “We appreciate the time and effort the court has devoted to this matter.”
The settlement spares Andrew from a potentially embarrassing series of disclosures and accusations in the months leading up to and during a trial, which was scheduled to begin late this year.
"It could have been embarrassing, humiliating, and it would have been huge fodder for the tabloid press," royal author and journalist Penny Junor told PA news agency.
"It could have really taken the shine off the Queen's platinum jubilee year."
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the settlement, Reuters reported.
Lisa Bloom, a lawyer representing some of Epstein's victims, said she and her clients "salute Virginia's stunning courage".
"She has accomplished what no one else could: getting Prince Andrew to stop his nonsense and side with sexual abuse victims."
Ms Giuffre had claimed that Andrew was one of several powerful men to whom she was "lent" by Epstein for sexual abuse as an underaged teenager.
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An artist's sketch of Ghislaine Maxwell, former girlfriend of disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, listening as the guilty verdict for trafficking a minor is read in a New York City court. She was found guilty on five of six charges. Reuters -
Kevin Maxwell, Isabel Maxwell and Christine Maxwell, siblings of Ghislaine Maxwell, outside the New York City court where Ghislaine Maxwell, former girlfriend of disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, was found guilty of trafficking minors. Reuters -
Defence lawyers Laura A Menninger and Jeffrey Pagliuca leave court in New York City after the guilty verdicts in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, former girlfriend of disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein. Reuters -
Kevin Maxwell, brother to Ghislaine Maxwell, leaves the New York City court where Ghislaine, former girlfriend of disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, was convicted on five of six charges including trafficking a minor and transporting a minor for criminal sexual activity. Reuters -
News media outside the US Federal District Court House in New York City after Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty on five of the six charges she faced. EPA -
A New York courtroom artist's sketch shows United States District Judge Alison Nathan reading guilty verdicts against Ghislaine Maxwell, former girlfriend of disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein. AP -
Defence lawyer Bobbi Sternheim leaves the New York City court where a jury found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of recruiting and grooming young girls to be sexually abused by her (Maxwell's) former boyfriend, US financier Jeffrey Epstein. AFP -
Defence lawyer Bobbi Sternheim leaves the New York City court where a jury found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of recruiting and grooming young girls. AFP -
A courtroom sketch shows Ghislaine Maxwell, left, listening with her lawyer Jeffrey Pagliuca as a jury returns a guilty verdict in her sex trafficking trial in New York. AP
Andrew has denied Ms Giuffre's accusations that he abused her at Epstein's London mansion and at two of the financier's other properties.
Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting a sex trafficking trial. His former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted last year for grooming young girls for Epstein to abuse between 1994 and 2004. She faces a maximum of 40 years in prison.
During the trial, a US prosecutor alleged Maxwell was "the key" to Epstein's scheme, where he would sexually abuse young girls.
Queen Elizabeth II last month stripped££ Andrew of his honorary roles and he gave up his HRH title. The move, which marked the removal of his official royal life, also stripped the duke of his remaining royal patronages.
Agencies contributed to this report.
