Prince Charles 'is set to loan Prince Andrew to help bankroll multi-million sex abuse payout'

Prince Charles is set to foot a part of the bill for Prince Andrew’s sexual abuse lawsuit, according to reports.

The Prince of Wales will reportedly loan the Duke of York up to £7million, which will not include public money, after the royal agreed to pay a huge sum to his accuser Virginia Roberts to settle the case before it reached a jury.

Ms Roberts had alleged she was forced to have sex with the duke three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

In January, she was given the go-ahead to sue Andrew, 61, for unspecified damages in a New York civil court.

But despite vowing to fight the allegations and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince last month agreed to pay a huge sum, reported to be some £12 million, to settle the case.

The Duke of York has ten days to pay the money to Ms Roberts as part of his deal, according to The Sun.

Prince Charles will reportedly foot a part of the bill for Prince Andrew’s sexual abuse lawsuit

The Duke of York last month agreed to pay a huge sum, reported to be some £12 million, to settle the case

He will pay back Prince Charles when he sells his ski chalet in Verbier, Switzerland.

A source told The Sun: ‘There were family discussions about how to ”take a little from here and a little from there”. 

‘Once it (money from the chalet) hits his bank account, he can pay back his brother and whoever else has lent him money.

‘But that payment (to Virginia) has to be paid on time.’ 

Last month it was claimed the Queen would also foot part of the bill for Prince Andrew’s sexual abuse lawsuit, according to the Telegraph.

It came as Prince Andrew settled the sexual abuse lawsuit with Ms Roberts and said he would make a ‘substantial donation’ to her charity supporting victims’ rights.  

He also praised her ‘bravery’ and that of other trafficking victims, saying he had ‘never intended’ to malign her character.

Although the parties have settled the case, the agreement is not an admission of guilt from the duke and he has always strenuously denied the allegations against him.

Virginia Roberts claimed she was 17 when she slept with the duke under orders from the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein

Last month it was claimed the Queen would also foot part of the bill for Prince Andrew’s lawsuit

The duke said in his statement that he ‘regretted his association with Epstein’ and pledged to demonstrate this ‘by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims’.

An attachment to the letter announcing the settlement to the public and the United States District Court gave brief details of the agreement between Andrew and Ms Roberts but indicated the sum would not be disclosed.

Although the terms of the deal remain a closely guarded secret, sources indicated the settlement itself could cost Andrew as much as £7.5 million ($10 million) – with several million pounds worth of legal fees taking the potential cost of the case to the prince to around the £10 million mark.

Attorney David Boies, who represents Ms Roberts, said that lawyers on both sides were telling the judge that a settlement in principle had been reached and they would request a dismissal of the lawsuit within a month.

The settlement means the civil case will not go to a jury trial, and also that Andrew will no longer be questioned under oath by Ms Roberts’ lawyers.