The mystery surrounding the famed photo of Prince Andrew with Virginia Giuffre may never be solved after the Duke and his accuser negotiated a dramatic “settlement in principle” in the civil sex action filed in the United States today.
The Duke of York is pictured with his arm around Ms Giuffre’s waist, while now-convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell smiles behind them.
Ms Giuffre claims that after being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell, she was forced to have sex with the Duke three times.
Ms Giuffre’s assertions have been refuted by Andrew.
Ms Giuffre cited the famed photo in her complaint against Prince Andrew, saying she was forced to have sex with him on the night the image was shot – when she was 17 – when she was forced to have intercourse with him.
The 61-year-old has categorically refuted all of the claims levelled against him.
As speculation mounted about its legitimacy and rumours that it had been misplaced, this photograph seemed poised to become a vital piece of evidence.
Following the compromise, the Duke was spared the courtroom battle today.
According to a document given to a US court: “Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have settled out of court.
“Following Ms Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement, the parties will file a specified dismissal (the sum of which is not being disclosed).
“Prince Andrew plans to make a significant contribution to Ms. Giuffre’s organisation in support of victims’ rights.
According to a document given to a US court: “Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have settled out of court.
“Following Ms Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement, the parties will file a specified dismissal (the sum of which is not being disclosed).
“Prince Andrew plans to make a significant contribution to Ms. Giuffre’s organisation in support of victims’ rights.
So far, here’s what we know about the controversial photo:
Ms Giuffre is said to have misplaced the original photograph.
“The photo is not in Virginia’s possession,” a source informed the Daily Beast.
Furthermore, it has been stated that no one on Giuffre’s legal team knows where it is or has seen the original.
According to the source, they didn’t know if the original “still existed.”
It is believed to have vanished during Ms Giuffre’s relocation from the United States to Australia between 2011 and 2016.
Is the photo fake?
During a Newsnight interview in 2019, Prince Andrew said to Emily Maitlis, “From the investigations that we’ve done, you can’t establish whether or not that photograph is fabricated or not because it is a photograph of a photograph of a photograph… Nobody can prove whether or not that photograph was doctored, but I don’t recall ever seeing it.”
The Duke’s legal team had already requested the original photo of Prince Andrew with Ms Giuffre.
It is expected that the Duke of York’s attorneys would attempt to call the photograph into question.
It is has been reported they want the photo so its authenticity can be evaluated by experts.
Melissa Lerner, Andrew’s attorney, told The Daily Beast: “There are concerns about its authenticity.
“The legal team requested the original from Giuffre’s attorneys in November 2021, and it was not provided to them.”
Who does the mystery thumb belong to?
For the past two decades, no one has been able to determine who snapped the photograph.
Ms Giuffre claims the photograph was shot at Maxwell’s mansion in Belgravia, central London, following a night out at Tramp nightclub in Mayfair in 2001.
In a catastrophic BBC Newsnight interview in 2019, the Duke claimed he had never met Ms Giuffre.
