Prince Andrew's 'delusional' hopes of returning to royal fold slammed after accuser Virginia Giuffre's tragic death
Andrew stepped down as a working royal in 2019Prince Andrew’s hopes of ever making a royal return have been seemingly put permanently on ice following the death of Virginia Giuffre.
Virginia, who accused Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her when she was 17, tragically died by suicide last week. She was 41 years old.
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Virginia Giuffre’s death by suicide
The campaigner was found unresponsive at her home in Perth, Australia, on Friday (April 25). In a statement, her family paid tribute.
“She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking,” they said.
“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors.
“Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure. The light of her life were her children Christian, Noah, and Emily.
Virginia Giuffre’s family pay heartbreaking tribute following her death
“It was when she held her newborn daughter in her arms that Virginia realized she had to fight back against those who had abused her and so many others,” they then continued.
“There are no words that can express the grave loss we feel today with the passing of our sweet Virginia. She was heroic and will always be remembered for her incredible courage and loving spirit.”
They added: “In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight. We know that she is with the angels.”
Prince Andrew’s royal comeback plans slammed
Now, it’s been reported that any hope of Andrew making a return to the royal fold have been dashed.
The hope has also been described as being “delusional” by a royal insider.
Speaking to The Sun, they claimed that “the door to a return is firmly closed”.
Prince Andrew stepped down as a working royal back in 2019, when his friendship with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came under criticism.
What happened between Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre?
Back in 2014, Virginia alleged that Prince Andrew had sexually assaulted her when she was 17. She claimed she had been trafficked to the Duke of York by Jeffrey Epstein and his partner, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing.
Virginia sued Andrew in August 2021 for “sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress”.
However, in February 2022, Andrew and Virginia came to an out-of-court settlement.
How much did Virginia Giuffre get from Prince Andrew?
It’s alleged that Prince Andrew paid Virginia £12 million, which reportedly included a substantial sum donated to her victim support charity.
Is Prince Andrew working for the royal family?
No. Prince Andrew has not been a working royal since 2019. He stepped back as one following backlash over his friendship with Epstein, and his now-infamous 2019 Newsnight interview.
However, he does make the occasional appearance alongside his fellow royals. Most recently, he attended the Easter Sunday service in Windsor.
Did King Charles cut off Prince Andrew’s allowance?
According to reports, Charles did cut Andrew off financially.
The king was reportedly providing his brother with a yearly allowance, as well as paying for security at his Royal Lodge home. All of this combined was reportedly costing the king millions of pounds.
However, a book published last year claimed that the king decided to cut his brother off financially. This means that Andrew now has to sustain himself financially, allegedly.
Royal Insider has contacted reps for the Duke of York for comment.
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