PRINCE Andrew has sensationally settled his sex abuse case with accuser Virginia Giuffre.
The Duke of York is understood to have paid Ms Giuffre an as-yet undisclosed sum on money to drop her claims against him.
It means the Queen's second son will now avoid the case against him being heard in a US courtroom.
More to follow…
Read our Royal Family live blog for the latest news and updates…
- Joseph Gamp
Queen holds virtual audience after Covid scare
The Queen has carried out her first official engagements since she faced a Covid-scare.
The 95-year-old monarch held two virtual audiences from Windsor Castle on Tuesday with the Estonian and Spanish ambassadors.
Concern mounted for the head of state's health after she met with eldest son the Prince of Wales a week ago, two days before he tested positive for coronavirus.
Buckingham Palace has continued to refuse to confirm whether the Queen had tested positive or negative for Covid, citing medical privacy, and saying last week only that she was not displaying any symptoms.
The monarch will have taken daily lateral flow tests over the past seven days, in keeping with current guidelines, and will have been closely monitored by her royal physicians.
The Queen, wearing a floral dress, could be seen on screen as she spoke by video link with the Estonian ambassador to the UK Viljar Lubi, who travelled to Buckingham Palace for his audience.
- Louis Allwood
David Boies appreciates 'the time and effort the court has devoted to this matter'
A second document, a letter addressed to US judge Lewis A Kaplan, who has been overseeing the case, 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.
The letter, signed by Ms Giuffre's lawyer David Boies, concludes: "We appreciate the time and effort the court has devoted to this matter."
- Louis Allwood
Court document details that Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity
The document submitted to a US court said: "Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement.
"The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed).
"Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights.
"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.
"It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.
"He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims."
- Louis Allwood
Andrew SETTLES with sex accuser Virginia Giuffre in rape lawsuit
PRINCE Andrew has sensationally settled his sexual abuse lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre out of court – sparing him a humiliating court case.
The bombshell comes as the disgraced Duke was on a collision course with the Epstein sex abuse victim over claims he raped her when she was 17.
Attorney David Boies, who represents Giuffre, said in a filing in Manhattan federal court that lawyers on both sides were informing the judge that a settlement in principle has been reached,
And he added they will request a dismissal of the lawsuit within a month.
Meanwhile, the letter said, the judge should suspend all deadlines and hold the action in abeyance.
Giuffre sued Andrew in August.https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.498.2_en.html#goog_333614351
The American accused the British royal of sexually abusing her when she was 17 while she traveled with financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The document submitted to a US court said: "Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement."
- Louis Allwood
Royal round up
- Prince Andrew’s accuser has reportedly lost the infamous photo which appears to show the Duke of York with his arm around the teenager’s waist in a sensational twist ahead of next month’s civil case.
- The Queen has carried out her first official engagements since she faced a Covid scare.
- Princess Eugenie is likely the first royal to meet Harry and Meghan’s daughter Lilibet.
Meghan's silent signal
Meghan Markle has a secret signal she uses to tell Prince Harry to shut up, a body language expert has claimed.
Jesús Enrique Rosas has release a Youtube video analysing several public appearances the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
He claimed to have noticed Meghan had a signal that she uses to “stop Harry from talking” whilst they were at a Wellchild event in 2019.
Jesús said: “Meghan and Harry were attending the Wellchild Awards back in 2019, and they were talking to some of the families attending.
“And I think this was the last family they were talking to because they were sitting along a wall, and this was at the far corner, and in fact, it was the end of the video.
“But Harry was still talking to them, in a quite engaging way, and then Meghan just stands up and literally, and silently commands Harry to stop and stand up just using her body language."
Queen pictured for the first time since her Platinum Jubilee
The head of state will have taken daily lateral flow tests over the past seven days, in keeping with current guidelines.
She has spent most of the pandemic at Windsor, where she was cared for in lockdown in HMS Bubble, the nickname given to her reduced household of dedicated staff.
As well as her first appearance since her coronavirus scare, today was the first time the Queen has been photographed since she reached her historic Platinum Jubilee milestone.
It also makes it her first public outing since endorsing her daughter-in-law the Duchess of Cornwall to be known as Queen when Charles becomes King.
Queen carries out first official duties since Covid scare
THE Queen has carried out her first official engagements since she faced a Covid scare.
The 95-year-old monarch today held virtual audiences from Windsor Castle just days after Prince Charles tested positive for the virus.
She was pictured greeting the Estonian ambassador, Viljar Lubi, who spoke to Her Majesty via video-link from Buckingham Palace.
The Queen also beamed through the screen at the Ambassador of Spain, Jose Pascual Marco Martinez, this morning.
Charles, 73, last week revealed he had caught the bug for the second time, 48 hours after having afternoon tea with his mum.
Wife Camilla later said she too had returned a positive test, sparking fears Her Majesty may have also contracted it.
A new film reveals most intimate portraits of Her Majesty
A new film featuring behind-the-scenes footage of the Queen (top right) will reveal one of the most intimate portraits of Her Majesty to date.
Elizabeth: A Portrait In Parts, which will be released on the Jubilee weekend in June, charts Her Majesty’s 70-year reign with rarely seen clips gathered from the Queen’s private collection plus outtakes recovered from broadcasting archives.
The result is a film which truly captures the Queen’s sense of humour in unguarded moments. In one scene the Queen is shown receiving cash after winning at the races (bottom right). ‘What do I get?’ she asks an aide. He tells her she has won £16 and duly hands over the crisp notes. In another scene, the Monarch gently chastises a two-year-old Princess Eugenie when she gets a little too close.
- Louis Allwood
Queen’s unusual hobby revealed
The Queen’s unusual hobby – which has amassed a staggering fortune of £100 million – has been revealed, and it’s an interest she inherited from her grandfather and father
The Monarch has been collecting stamps for decades and she now has an extremely impressive private collection with several that are reportedly worth fortune and have amassed her a pretty penny over the years (£100 million, to be exact).
According to The Telegraph, the Mauritian stamp is not only the most valuable in her collection but it’s one of the most prized in the world and was valued at a staggering £2 million back in 2002.
Over the years, the Queen has built an impressive collection, which is said to fill about 300 albums and about 200 boxes, all stored in a vault at St James’s Palace.
- Louis Allwood
Will and Kate set to inherit Queen’s home
PRINCE William and Kate are set to inherit the Queen’s beloved Windsor Castle – because Prince Charles finds it “too noisy”.
Charles and Camilla currently reside in Clarence House but according to the Daily Mail, they plan to relocate to the traditional home of the Sovereign, Buckingham Palace, when Charles takes the throne.
A close friend also added, “Charles is firmly of the view that it is the most distinct symbol of the monarchy in the heart of the nation’s capital and therefore it must be his home, he also thinks it would be strange to have Buckingham Palace without royals living there.”
Meanwhile, the Queen's unusual hobby has also been revealed – and it has earned her more than £100m!
The Monarch has been collecting stamps for decades and she now has an extremely impressive private collection.
According to The Telegraph, the Mauritian stamp is not only the most valuable in her collection but it's one of the most prized in the world and was valued at a staggering £2 million back in 2002.
- Louis Allwood
David Boies is reportedly "not worried" about producing the original
The photo was reportedly printed on March 13, 2001, just two days after it was taken.
Roberts previously revealed she had lost the photo in 2016 as part of her deposition during a successful libel action against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, but her sworn testimony was only unsealed in 2020.
She said she gave the picture to the FBI in 2011 as part of its investigations into Epstein. The FBI has since declined to confirm whether it had been passed the photograph, or whether they had handed it back.
Sources close to her say they don't believe the disappearance of the photo will affect the case as they will still look to admit a copy as evidence, and that her case doesn't rest upon the picture.
Roberts' lawyer David Boies is reportedly "not worried" about producing the original.
- Louis Allwood
Virginia Roberts has ‘LOST’ infamous photo of her with Prince Andrew, claim pals
PRINCE Andrew's accuser has reportedly lost the infamous photo which appears to show the Duke of York with his arm around the teenager's waist in a sensational twist ahead of next month's civil case.
Lawyers representing Virginia Giuffre, who was known as Virginia Roberts at the time the photo was allegedly taken, say the original, supposedly snapped at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell by Jeffrey Epstein, has been misplaced.
The notorious photo shows a smiling 17-year-old Roberts with Andrew's arm around her bare midriff, as convicted sex trafficker Maxwell looks on in the background.
Sources close to Roberts claim the picture went missing while she was moving from Colorado in the US to Sydney, Australia, where she currently lives, at some point between 2011 and 2016.
In fact, insiders say, the original – which Andrew's legal team have always claimed could have been faked – may not even exist anymore.
"The picture is not in Virginia's possession," a source close to Roberts told The Daily Beast.
- Louis Allwood
Eugenie and Harry's bond
As the youngest children of their parents, Eugenie and Harry have always been close.
They grew up tight and it was later rumoured that Eugenie was among the first to know about Harry's blossoming relationship with Meghan.
They later married at the same wedding venue – St George's Chapel in Windsor, and the foursome also enjoyed a night out together in Toronto, disguised in Halloween costumes, the duchess told Ellen DeGeneres.
Royal biography Finding Freedom also claimed Eugenie and Jack's visit to Lake Como in 2018 overlapped with the Sussexes'.
Authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote: "Out of all the Queen’s grandchildren, Harry and Eugenie have one of the most natural connections."
- Louis Allwood
Who is Andrew Turner?
Andrew Turner, 54, is an Royal Air Force (RAF) Air Marshal in charge of delivering RAF Strategy.
He has flown 87 types of aircraft and has over 5100 flying hours under his belt.
Not only has he been in the service since 1985, he also was appointed an Officer in the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2003.
In 2010, he was promoted to a Commander (CBE) and has since also been appointed as a Companion in the Order of the Bath (CB).
He is one of only two Air Marshals in the RAF and stands in rank beneath Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston.
- Louis Allwood
Andrew Turner suspended from the Royal Air Force
Deputy Chief Turner was naked in his garden in Oxfordshire when the incident occurred on August 10, 2021.
His neighbour, Simon Herbert, 54, had been in his garden building a fence when Air Marshal Turner bent down and flashed his bottom towards Herbert.
Herbert had seen him walk across their shared path with no clothes or shoes on before he crouched behind a tree.
"I freaked out and I jumped up and said 'what are you doing'? He just stood up and walked back towards his house like a robot," said Herbert.
On his approach to the house, the Air Marshal said he bent over to pick up a tennis ball, flashing his unsuspecting neighbour.
There has never been an issue between the two although Herbert does run an activity centre for children and keeps animals on the land.
He said that he had applied for an extension four years ago that Air Marshal Turner was unhappy about.
Turner was given a community resolution order, meaning he had to apologise to the family – including Herbert's 18-year-old daughter who had witnessed it.
- Louis Allwood
The Queen is a Tiger Mum
Her Majesty, 94, first became a mum to Prince Charles over 70 years ago and followed on to raise another three – Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
But the Queen is from a different era where duty always comes first and was also in the unusual position raising four children as a monarch, Sue explained
Tiger parenting is a form of strict or demanding parenting, according to Sue, who said parents with this style often push and pressure their children to attaining high levels achievement or success.
She said: "The Queen may have been Authoritarian in her style, slightly aloof and distant with very high expectations and rules."
According to historian Robert Lacy, who also served as an advisor for The Crown and is the author of ‘The Crown: The Official Companion’, the Queen believed it was better to leave the children in the care of nannies rather than drag them around the world on royal duties.
He said: "She had been brought up in that style herself, after all, with her parents leaving her at home and entrusting her entire schooling to a governess and home tutors."
- Louis Allwood
The Lighthouse Mum
The Duchess of Cambridge, is known to be a warm and sensitive mum, but isn't afraid to get her hands dirty when she needs to.
Sue, who is the author of Parenting Made Easy – How to Raise Happy Children and Raising Happy Children for Dummies, explained that the mum-of -three acts as a 'lighthouse' to her children – always guiding them in the right direction and watching them from the sidelines.
Both her and Prince William are strict about screen time, though, and make sure all three kids spend lots of time outdoors. They’re also careful about disciplining their children, and make sure to absolutely never shout or yell.
Kate often involves herself in activities with the kids with Sue adding: "She seems to have a warm bond with her children. "
Plus, not only does she "soothe her kid’s temper tantrums", but she and William often "get on eye level and this behaviour shows that their children are their primary focus," Sue said.
- Louis Allwood
Andrew went on "holiday after holiday"
Throughout the noughties, Andrew was working as a trade ambassador until he stepped down in 2011.
During this time he is thought to have schmoozed with the rich and powerful, including going hunting with Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev and having a meeting with Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi.
Andrew is reported to have always travelled in style – including taking his own massage mattress with him, having a personal pedicurist, and having a valet armed with an ironing board.
And it's during this period it was claimed the teetotal Andrew would pop £300 bottles of champagne for his pals as he frequented nightclubs and went on "holiday after holiday".
David McClure, whose book The Queen's True Worth was released in 2020, told The Sun Online: "The answers behind Andrew's sources of wealth are shrouded in mystery."
The royal expert said that questions have been raised about Andrew's wealth "for at least 15 to 20 years".
- Louis Allwood
Queen is being 'monitored'
Her Majesty is being "monitored" by her doctors and it's understood she will be advised to take rapid lateral flow tests every day until Thursday.
However, royal sources confirmed she has a diary of engagements at Windsor Castle next week which she is expected to fulfil – suggesting she is not infected.
The jobs are believed to be video calls with ambassadors and dignitaries from her desk.
Her aides will be keeping her schedule light before a series of outings in March.
Officials are keen she will not be rushed and “lessons have been learned” since her punishing 19 jobs in as many days last October, which led to her resting on doctors’ orders.
- Louis Allwood
'She has appreciated the importance of fashion'
A royal expert has suggested that Kate Middleton had to completely revolutionise her fashion sense to become the “icon” she is today.
Speaking to Channel 5’s Kate: Our Queen in Waiting, royal editor Katie Nicholl said: “She initially was quite a reluctant clothes horse.
“But as she’s grown into her role as the Duchess of Cambridge, she has appreciated the importance of fashion and royal fashion.
“And she does do high street as much as she does top-end fashion.
“It triggers what’s become known as the Kate effect.”
- Louis Allwood
Harry ‘could release most shocking claim yet’ ahead of memoir’s launch, expert claims
The Duke of Sussex announced the release of his upcoming book last year, vowing to give a “wholly truthful” account of his life.
The announcement was said to have triggered a “tsunami of fear” in Buckingham Palace, with concerns the memoir could echo Harry’s explosive Oprah interview.
He is expected to hash out the reasons he left the Firm behind, name and shame the “royal racist” and delve into Princess Diana‘s life and divorce.
But an expert claimed it is set to contain “juicy details” on the fallout with the Royals after the 37-year-old received a £15million advance from publishers.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl believes he and wife Meghan will “drip-feed teasers” to the public to gear them up for a dramatic read.
She told Closer magazine: “The book will no doubt be full of more intimate and shocking revelations – Harry wouldn’t have got a multi-million-pound advance without promising some juicy details.
“And in the build-up to that, I imagine Harry and Meghan will have a carefully thought out publicity drive, which will see them drip-feed teasers in the months building up to the release,” she said.
“There’ll be more shocking claims to come, perhaps their biggest yet!”
- Louis Allwood
Royal round up
- It's claimed 'Meghan has never liked Camilla' and the two are 'poles apart'
- And a royal expert has revealed Camilla's nickname for the "ungrateful" Duchess of Sussex
- Meanwhile, the royals are understood to be bracing for Harry's memoir this year – amid claims it will reveal his true feelings for his stepmother
- The Sussexes have so far remained publicly silent after it was revealed Camilla will become Queen Consort when Charles is made king
- Harry and William previously had an "icy" relationship with the duchess, although Wills is now "supportive" of her becoming Queen
Camilla wasn't required to self-isolate after Charles tested positive
A Clarence House spokesperson said today: “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-isolating.
"We continue to follow government guidelines.”
Camilla is triple vaccinated, sources said.
The duchess carried out a string of engagements last Thursday – the day Charles, 73, tested positive. Aides say he hasn't suffered any symptoms.
Under current Covid rules, although she lives with Charles, she had not been required to self-isolate when she tested negative that day because she is fully vaccinated.
Camilla described herself as "luckily" negative after her husband's test.
Countess of Wessex visits children's hospice
Sophie, The Countess of Wessex visited Shooting Stars Children Hospice today.
She attended to participate in some 'very special' Valentines Day activities including a makaton sing-along.
Shooting Stars Children Hospice said: Thank you to our amazing Royal patron HRH The Countess of Wessex who joined us today at Shooting Star House to meet some of the children and families we support, so that they could share a little love at a special valentine-themed event."
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