THE civil court case in which Virginia Giuffre alleged she had been sexually assaulted three times by Prince Andrew when she was 17, has been dismissed following Andrew’s payment of the agreed out-of-court settlement. “Stipulation of Dismissal” court documents were filed on Monday. But the current big question hovering around it, is how has he paid the settlement?

What settlement has Prince Andrew had to pay?

We don’t know, but it is reportedly a multi-million pound fee, and some sources suggest it will be upwards of £10 million, others £12m, following Giuffre’s allegations of these assaults, which she alleged happened when trafficked by the duke’s friend, the late billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. A letter filed last month to the judge, Lewis A Kaplan, from lawyers for Andrew and Giuffre, said the two had reached a “settlement in principle” and that Andrew would make a “substantial donation” to Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights.

The duke has also pledged to “demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein” by supporting the “fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims”.

READ MORE: Platinum Jubilee: Tom Devine on the future of the monarchy in Scotland

So, where has the money come from?

Not, apparently, the taxpayer’s pocket. In response to a Freedom of Information request asking whether public money was used for the Duke’s legal costs or the out-of-court settlement, the Treasury said: “No public money has been used to pay legal or settlement fees you refer to.” Prince Andrew is reportedly in the process of selling his ski chalet in Verbier to pay the fees, but this may take some time to conclude. According to an article in the Times, “It is believed that Prince Andrew, 62, used money borrowed from family members to pay his accuser, Giuffre, 39.”

I see. We still don’t know where the funds were borrowed from?

That’s correct – and there are calls for Prince Andrew to confirm how he funded the settlement, and whether the Queen or even the Prince of Wales contributed to the sum.

Does the settlement suggest Andrew is guilty?

Prince Andrew has made no admission of guilt and has repeatedly denied allegations that he sexually assaulted her on three occasions. At one point, in 2019, he even denied having met her, though a key photograph in which he is captured with Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell, proved this untrue.

An out of court settlement like this means he has not entirely cleared his name – but also has not been found guilty.

The Herald: Undated handout photo issued by the US Department of Justice (left-right) of the Duke of York, Virginia Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell. Court documents show that the Duke of York and Virginia Giuffre have reached a "settlement in principle" in

It also means a civil court-case will not overshadow the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations..