Virginia Giuffre‘s family has broken their silence after Prince Andrew was stripped of his royal titles.
“Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage,” Giuffre’s family members Sky Roberts, Amanda Roberts, Danny Wilson and Lanette Wilson said in a statement to Us Weekly on Thursday, October 30.
Giuffre, who died by suicide in April at age 41, previously accused Andrew, 65, of sexual abuse after meeting him through late convicted billionaire sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Giuffre sued Andrew in 2021, and the lawsuit was settled out of court. (Andrew has denied Giuffre’s claims and his alleged connection to Epstein.)
“Virginia Roberts Giuffre, our sister, a child when she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and to countless other survivors like her,” the statement continued. “Today, she declares victory. We, her family, along with her survivor sisters, continue Virginia’s battle and will not rest until the same accountability applies to all of the abusers and abettors connected to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.”
Giuffre’s former attorney, Sigrid McCawley, also released a statement.
“The voice of Virginia Giuffre has changed history,” McCawley said in a statement to Us. “Her bravery, determination and resilient spirit has led to this defining moment. As we account for the tipping point significance of the King stripping the title ‘Prince’ from his brother Andrew, it should be a lesson for all to listen, hear and believe survivors of abuse.”
News broke on Thursday that King Charles III began the process to remove his younger brother Andrew’s titles and evicted him from the Royal Lodge.
“Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence,” read a Buckingham Palace statement shared with Us. “Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.”
Buckingham Palace continued, “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
Before the formal process began, Andrew announced that he would be giving up his royal titles amid his alleged association to Epstein.
Virginia Giuffre’s family offered a plea to the royal family while promoting her posthumously released memoir, Nobody’s Girl. Virginia’s brother, Sky Roberts, and his wife, Amanda, appeared on the U.K.’s ITV show This Morning on Tuesday, October 21. Host Cat Deeley asked the couple if they had a message for the royals as Prince Andrew’s […]
“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,” read Andrew’s statement from earlier this month. “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.”
The statement continued, “With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honors which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
Andrew’s announcement came days before the posthumous release of Giuffre’s memoir, Nobody’s Girl. The book detailed Giuffre and Andrew’s alleged meeting and maintained her claims that they slept together.
“In the years since, I’ve thought a lot about how he behaved,” she wrote. “He was friendly enough, but still entitled — as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.usmagazine.com ’
