Prince Andrew settlement agreement: cost to settle Virginia Giuffre case out of court and who’s paying amount?

The Queen has reportedly agreed to help Prince Andrew pay part of a settlement to Virginia Giuffre with a donation of £2m to her charity.

The Duke of York is keeping his dukedom and his service rank of Vice Admiral and will remain a Counsellor of State despite agreeing to an out-of-court settlement in a sexual assault lawsuit.

Andrew, whose status as a member of the royal family was left in tatters last month after the Queen stripped him of his honorary military roles and he gave up his HRH style, is facing more questions about his role in public life and how he will fund the financial settlement reportedly costing £12 million.

The royal agreed on 15 February to make a “substantial donation” to his accuser Virginia Giuffre’s charity after the pair agreed an undisclosed out-of-court settlement in her civil sex claim against him.

Ms Giuffre, also known as Virginia Roberts, made a claim against Andrew for damages in her home country of the US, claiming she was trafficked by Epstein, Andrew’s friend, to have sex with the royal when she was 17, a minor under US law.

Although the parties have settled the case, the agreement is not an admission of guilt from the duke and he has always strenuously denied the allegations against him.

So, what is the reported amount of legal costs facing Andrew - and who is paying for it?

How much is the out-of-court settlement - and is the Queen paying for it?

No detail has been disclosed with regard to the settlement and costs although it’s been widely reported the total amount to go to Ms Giuffre and her charity exceeds £12 million.

The Mirror has reported that the Queen will help Andrew with payment from her private funds, as long as she is not connected to a personal payment to Ms Giuffre.

A deal was agreed at the weekend following at least 10 days of negotiations between the two sides.

Royal finances expert and author David McClure said there is “enormous public interest” in the sum and the source of the funding being disclosed, telling the PA news agency: “I really think for once the royal family should come clean and say where the money came from.”

Meanwhile, it’s prompted parliament to discuss where the money is coming from and make sure that the public purse isn’t used.

Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on Tuesday’s legal development, while Andrew’s representatives also declined to say how the donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity would be funded.

In January, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew would be defending the case “as a private citizen”.

He receives a Royal Navy pension and the Queen is also thought to fund him from her £21.7 million a year Duchy of Lancaster income, but the figure she gives him is kept private.

Will Prince Andrew sell his multi-million pound Swiss Chalet?

There had been reports Andrew had been trying to sell a chalet in the Swiss resort of Verbier which he bought for a reported £13 million in 2014 with his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York.

Chalet Helora retreat is expected to fetch at least £17million on the market and boasts seven bedrooms, an indoor pool and a £5,600 ball chair.

He bought the home with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson in 2014 from millionaire French socialite Isabelle de Rouvre.

Will Prince Andrew carry out public duties again?

It is understood that the statement released by the Palace on January 13, outlining the changes, still stands, with the duke continuing not to undertake any public duties.

There are growing calls for Andrew to give up the York title, or for the Queen to remove it.

The dukedom was a gift from his mother on his wedding day in 1986 and was previously used by the Queen’s father George VI.

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