Virginia Giuffre’s family is sharing their thoughts as Prince Andrew gives up his royal titles and honors.
“We, the family of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, believe that Prince Andrew’s decision to give up his titles is vindication for our sister and survivors everywhere,” the family said in a statement on Friday, Oct. 17. “This decisive action is a powerful step forward in our fight to bring Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s child se*-trafficking network to justice.”
The statement came from Sky and Amanda Roberts and Danny and Lanette Wilson, Giuffre’s siblings and in-laws. They added, “Further, we believe it is appropriate for King Charles to remove the title of Prince.”
Prince Andrew remains a prince by birth as the son of Queen Elizabeth, under the terms of the 1917 Letters Patent issued by George V and updated by Queen Elizabeth in 2012.
Before her death earlier this year at 41, Giuffre completed Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, which will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
Earlier this week, The Guardian published an excerpt from the memoir, in which Giuffre detailed three encounters she claimed to have had with Prince Andrew after she was allegedly trafficked to him by Epstein and Maxwell.
Giuffre recounted meeting the royal on March 10, 2001, at Maxwell’s London home, where a now-infamous photo of her with Andrew was taken on a disposable Kodak camera. After dinner and a night out dancing at the London club Tramp, Giuffre wrote that Maxwell told her, “When we get home, you are to do for him what you do for Jeffrey.”
Giuffre said they had se* that night, describing specific details of the encounter and claiming it lasted less than half an hour. She also alleged that the third time she had se* with him was during what she described as an “orgy” involving Epstein and several other underage girls.
In a statement issued Friday, Oct. 17, Prince Andrew addressed his decision to step away from his titles. “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” he wrote. “I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
A representative for Prince Andrew has not commented on Giuffre’s allegations in the book, though the royal has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
In 2022, Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre that included a statement expressing regret over his association with Epstein. The agreement did not include any admission of liability or apology, according to the BBC.
Giuffre’s family also addressed recently surfaced emails between Prince Andrew and Epstein, reportedly sent in early 2011 after the now-famous photo of the prince, Giuffre, and Maxwell became public. “In that email, Prince Andrew wrote, ‘we are in this together,’ and ‘we’ll play more soon,’ comments that further validate the truths that Virginia had long spoken about,” their statement said.
The family noted that the messages contradict Andrew’s 2018 BBC interview claim that he had cut off contact with Epstein in 2010. “Epstein pled guilty to soliciting underage prostitution in 2008,” they continued. “These emails not only highlight Prince Andrew’s contradictory statements, but also suggest a disturbing willingness to deflect from the truth and evade accountability.”
The family’s statement concluded: “We hope that the days of impunity for the powerful are over, and protection for predators will no longer be tolerated. We hope a higher standard has been set for our leaders in office in the United States — one we will work tirelessly to follow here. It is time for accountability, transparency, and justice for all survivors.”
Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice will be released on Oct. 21.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of se*ual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to connect with a certified crisis counselor.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use issues, or simply needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat via 988lifeline.org 24/7.
