Virginia Giuffre’s claim, which she filed in New York earlier this week and which alleges that the Duke of York sexually abused her when she was a minor at the home of Ghislaine Maxwell in London, is said to have strengthened Charles’ belief that “a way back” to public life for the Andrew is “demonstrably not possible.” The source said that Charles’ love for his brother and his sympathy “for the slings and arrows that his brother endures” do not outweigh the “unwelcome reputational damage” to the monarchy, because the “specter” of these accusations “raises its head with hideous regularity.” Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is currently awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges. Virginia Giuffre alleges that she was “lent out for sexual purposes” by Epstein in both the UK and the US when she was under the age of consent. Andrew is the only named defendant in her suit. Prince Andrew announced that he was stepping back from royal duties back in November 2019 following a disastrous BBC interview in which he said he did not regret the business “opportunities” that his friendship with Epstein had brought him. He said that he could not recall ever meeting Virginia Giuffre. Cressida Dick, who is head of the Metropolitan police, said that the police force will be watching developments in Giuffre’s case and that they will review the decision not to investigate Epstein’s alleged crimes in the UK. When asked what this means for the Duke of York she said, “No one is above the law.” In a statement to People, Giuffre said, “As the suit lays out in detail, I was trafficked to [Andrew] and sexually abused by him.” She went on, “I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but to reclaim one’s life by speaking out and demanding justice.” On Tuesday Andrew and Sarah Ferguson joinedQueen Elizabeth II on vacation at her Scottish estate of Balmoral, with their daughter Princess Eugenie, her husband Jack Brooksbank, and the couple’s baby August arriving the day after. A source at Balmoral told the Sun, “Summer at Balmoral is a special time when the family come together, take stock, relax, and recharge their batteries, “But the first thing [the queen] is having to deal with is her 61-year-old son turning up on her doorstep with his ex-wife, hours after learning he is being sued for allegedly abusing a 17-year-old girl. “It’s not the start to her first trip to Balmoral without the Duke of Edinburgh she would be expecting or deserves. " Next up, Princess Eugenie Pledges Her Support to Meghan’s New Initiative—While Royals Wish the Duchess of Sussex a Happy Birthday
