Prince Andrew, the second eldest son of the UK's Queen Elizabeth II, has reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre. The 38-year-old had launched a civil case to sue the royal for intentional emotional harm and battery following allegations she was forced to have sex with him three times in London in 2001.

In the documents submitted to the U.S. district court in New York, it stated that the Prince and Giuffre had reached a "settlement in principle" and that she will receive an undisclosed fee as Andrew recognizes that "she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks."

It also confirms that Prince Andrew will make a substantial donation to Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights.

Giuffre sued the prince last year for unspecified damages, alleging that she was trafficked to him by Epstein and Maxwell. In December, Maxwell was convicted of recruiting and grooming young girls to be sexually abused by Epstein, a high-profile and powerful financier. 

As well as the London allegations, Giuffre also said Andrew assaulted her at Epstein's home in New York, and on Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The UK royal has looked to distance himself from Epstein and the document read: "Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and others survivors in standing up for themselves and others."

Epstein's death in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 was ruled a suicide by New York's chief medical examiner but it has sparked conspiracy theories that he had been killed to protect wealthy associates.