Virginia Giuffre lauds court ruling on Prince Andrew as she vows to ‘expose the truth’

Virginia Giuffre took to social media to claim she would “expose the truth” in a civil case brought against Prince Andrew. Giuffre has alleged the Duke of York sexually abused her when she was 17.

However, Prince Andrew vehemently denied the accusations.

In a series of tweet, Giuffre said, “I’m pleased with Judge Kaplan’s ruling yesterday that allows my case against Prince Andrew to go forward. I’m glad I will have the chance to continue to expose the truth and I am deeply grateful to my extraordinary legal team.”

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“Their determination helps me seek justice from those who hurt me and so many others. My goal has always been to show that the rich and powerful are not above the law and must be held accountable,” she said in another tweet.

The comments come after New York judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed the Duke of York’s contention the case against him was “legally insufficient”.

Andrew’s lawyers requested the civil lawsuit be thrown out after claiming Giuffre waived her right to sue after she signed a $500,000 settlement agreement with Jeffrey Epstein, who died aged 66 in 2019.

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On Thursday, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew’s titles and patronages have been returned to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

In a statement, the palace said, “With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen.”

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“The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen,” it added.

Prince Andrew, the second youngest of Queen Elizabeth and the late Prince Philip’s four children, served for 22 years in the Royal Navy.

According to ABC News royal contributor Robert Jobson said that stripping him of his military titles is “hugely significant”.

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Andrew’s honorary military titles included Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, one of the oldest regiments in the British Army; Honorary air commodore of RAF Lossiemouth; Colonel-in-chief of the Royal Irish Regiment; Colonel-in-chief of the Small Arms School Corps; Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm; Royal colonel of the Royal Highland Fusiliers; Deputy colonel-in-chief of The Royal Lancers; and Royal Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

“It’s clear to me there’s no way back from this for Andrew as a public figure,” Jobson said. 

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“The reality is, as the queen is not only head of state but also of the armed forces, she will have taken note of the unrest amongst the military affiliated with the duke and acted appropriately,” Jobson added.

The last time Andrew, the father of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, appeared in a public capacity with the royal family was last April, when the family gathered in London for Prince Philip’s funeral.

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In November 2019, Andrew stepped back from public duties, saying in a statement at the time that his, “former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support.”

The scrutiny over Andrew’s relationship with Epstein, a convicted sex offender, increased even more in 2020, when Epstein died in prison from an apparent suicide.

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On Wednesday, a federal judge in New York rejected Prince Andrew’s claim that a 2009 settlement agreement between Giuffre and Epstein exempted him from civil litigation.