I have a funny feeling revoking that title would be a matter of parliament.
Split Thread Virginia Guiffre v Duke of York
- Thread starter Vixen
- Start date
I have a funny feeling revoking that title would be a matter of parliament.
timhau
NWO Litter Technician
I doubt it would be the first purely symbolic act pushed through the legislation in a Western democracy.
However, almost certainly this case is being funded by the lawyers / investors on a no win no fee basis on the expectation of a significant (>30%) return* from the settlement. They will not prioritise their clients reputation above a financial settlement.
I think at this point they will be getting nervous. I think their expectation was that they had found a target with deep pockets, and that even if Andrew Windsor did not have much cash himself, his mother would settle to prevent reputational harm. Instead what seems to be happening is that the family are distancing themselves, and the reputational harm has been done. It is apparent that Windsor though a prince and royal duke actually has little wealth himself, and enforcing any debt against him will be difficult and costly. If his mother is prepared to continue to finance the defence, the costs for the plaintiff will escalate as it comes to trial and the likelihood of a sufficiently large settlement to cover the costs falls. I don't think the family will pay out the sort of reward a US court would give, on his behalf. Windsor would likely go bankrupt and the settlement may be pennies on the pound. He may lose his house (and we have no idea if there are mortgages on this), but he will not be homeless. His children are all safely married off. I think that a decision has been made that if there is a settlement here then it will be open season on suing royals; better to sacrifice Andrew than face a continuing future of court cases. The case will be defended to escalate costs for the plaintiff as a deterrent, and Andrew will be left with insufficient funds to pay the settlement if he loses. A warning of the consequences for anyone else who invests in suing the royal family.
I think that a deal will cover costs (and no profit), with no blame and an agreement Windsor will not sue Giuffre in London for libel.
*https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...urned-lawsuit-bets-into-a-39-billion-industry
Puppycow
Penultimate Amazing
Is that not a tacit admission that mom thinks he's guilty of something? They wouldn't take a step like this if they truly believed he was unjustly accused.
Nice analysis.
I agree with you, the mature married woman is a rather ordinary gold digger. (If I recall you correctly).
Not within the family. And we know from how they wanted to punish Diana that means a hell of a lot to this dysfunctional and abusive family.
P.J. Denyer
Penultimate Amazing
Minor point, but I think his home is a publicly owned Grace & Favour from Mummy.
Lives on the Windsor estate.
Fast Eddie B
Philosopher
I would say not necessarily.
It’s at least conceivable they could have doubts about the exact charges against him, but still want to distance themselves from the whole sordid mess of his relationships with Epstein and Maxwell and underage girls in general.
Fast Eddie B
Philosopher
I would say not necessarily.
It’s at least conceivable they could question the exact charges against him, but still want to distance themselves from the whole sordid mess of his relationships with Epstein and Maxwell and underage girls.
Happy to be corrected.
Makes his financial resources even less, in the event of a loss this may be a Pyrrhic victory for Giuffre and backers.
Your link doesn't mention Giuffre. Chances are her lawyers have determined that Andy has sufficient assets to pay a substantial judgment, or are betting that Mum won't endure the embarrassment to the family of additional legal action to collect a debt. It's also possible that her lawyers are less motivated by money than by the prospect of taking down a predator -- which, practically speaking, boosts their public image and might bring them other, more remunerative cases. They might also just believe in her and want to see her vindicated. It's not like David Boies needs the work.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Boies
Last edited:
If that was her only motive, she would have settled quietly long ago. This guy has been calling her a liar for years; it looks to me like she wants her day in court and a judgment that she's telling the truth.
timhau
NWO Litter Technician
And your source for this almost certain information is...
Exactly - vengeance and closure are possible motivations
What does this mean? The BBC says he's lost the title. Are you saying that at family dinners, Mum will still be saying, "Your Royal Highness, please pass the peas?" Where else would he be HRH if not in public?
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59987935
P.J. Denyer
Penultimate Amazing
His lifestyle would certainly suggest he is considerably more wealthy than his Royal Navy pension would account for. He gets 1/4mil pa tax free from the Queen, that we know of, has been involved with some iffy companies & of course we don't know how much from cash for access before he was busted.* His net worth is estimated between 10 & 32 million pounds.
* "...And What Do You Do?" - Norman Baker
That's a pretty broad range. It sounds like nobody is really sure. But what does appear in all the reports is that he shares a house with his ex-wife Sarah, though they were divorced in 1996. I wonder what that's like.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/prince-andrews-unconventional-life-ex-25934013
No the report says he will no-longer use his title officially, but he is still a HRH.
If the lawyers are funding it, they will be doing so on a no win no fee basis. I don't think Giuffre has the resources to fund a transnational court case herself. Perhaps there are well wishers or donors who fund it and expect no return, but it seems unlikely, since if she wins she would be awarded costs. The usual return lawyers look for on a no win no fee basis is about 30% of damages.
The reference is to the fact that financing potentially lucrative court cases is now an investment option, and I think there will be concern from the Royal family that they are not seen as an easy target.
The talk about Giuffre wanting 'more than money' strikes me a negotiating ploy.
Giuffre had a long time to bring the court case, she is not a victim who has only recently come to the realisation she was abused or can bring a claim. She has brought cases against several people over many years. It is slightly odd that she only does so against Windsor now. Perhaps as has been said it was just a plubicity stunt by a New York lawyer looking for a famous (and rich) person to sue and a suitable plaintiff and they got in at the last moment as the extension on the usual time bar for litigation was just about to run out.