Ahead of King Charles III’s coronation in May several problems are emerging within the UK Royal Family which could impact their reputation.
King Charles has to cope with his son Prince Harry, who in his autobiographical memoir, Spare, lashed out at his brother Prince William, sister-in-law Kate Middleton and even his father.
Now, King Charles’ brother Prince Andrew could kick up a storm as he has been advised by American lawyer Alan Dershowitz to challenge his legal settlement with Virginia Giuffre.
TELEGRAPH: The photo that ‘clears Duke’ over bath sex #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/lVpkcKol2q— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) January 27, 2023
Virginia Giuffre claimed she was taken to an island, by sex offender and businessman Jeffrey Epstein and his socialite friend Ghislaine Maxwell, where she was coerced into having sex with Prince Andrew.
She claimed she was 17 at that time and she was forced on three occasions to engage in sexual activities with the royal family member.
Prince Andrew settled the lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre in 2022 when he paid her millions of dollars to enter into the settlement. However, Alan Dershowitz, American lawyer, whom Giuffre also accused of sexual assault has encouraged Prince Andrew to challenge the settlement.
His settlement with Giuffre led to him being stripped of his public duties and royal patronages. He was denied the right to wear military uniform, unlike his siblings, at the funeral of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, last September.
A report by the Guardian revealed that Prince Andrew has already spoken to American lawyers and discussed challenging the settlement. The report said he contacted American lawyers Andrew Brettler and Blair Berk over possible legal moves.
Prince Andrew seems to have been motivated by Ian Maxwell, Ghislaine Maxwell’s brother, who released a photo to claim that Giuffre’s accusations were false.
The photo showed a bathtub with two people wearing masks of Giuffre and Prince Andrew - which suggested that Giuffre’s claim that the sexual assault began in the bath of Ghislaine Maxwell’s former flat was false.
The photo was criticised widely for trying to conjure a possibility that ‘the bath is too small for any sort of sex frolicking’ which Giuffre claimed in an unpublished memoir.
There were also claims that the incriminating photograph of Andrew with his hands around Giuffre’s waist was fake.
Proof Prince Andrew photo is not a fake: Evidence that image of royal with Virginia Giuffre is real https://t.co/1vEoFKD7sx— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) January 28, 2023
However, multiple reports confirmed that the photo, obtained by Michael Thomas for the Daily Mail in 2009 was indeed an original photograph and it was developed in a Walgreens using a Noritsu or Fuji machine, Marca reported citing Thomas and a photography expert.
Meanwhile, despite Andrew’s attempts to come to the mainstream, King Charles will keep his brother at arm’s length ahead of the coronation.
A person familiar with the Royal Family and the developments surrounding the lawsuit challenge told the Guardian that even if a legal challenge is mounted, Prince Andrew made the settlement and also defended his stay at Epstein’s New York mansion following the latter’s conviction, which could lead King Charles to keep him away from the proceedings during his coronation ceremony.
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