Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre have settled the sexual assault lawsuit against the disgraced British royal for an undisclosed sum, sparing Andrew the public humiliation of a trial and allowing him to walk away without criminal charges against him.

As part of the agreement disclosed by a U.S. court on Tuesday, the British royal will make a "substantial donation" to a charity established by Giuffre that supports sex trafficking victims.

But what does this settlement mean for Andrew's reputation and his future role in the royal family?

According to some, the settlement was the best option available for the prince.

"This is clearly the essence of a good deal," said former prosecutor Randy Zelin.

"Everybody gets something. Everybody gives up something. Prince Andrew gets the cloak of silence of the confidentiality of the settlement," Zelin added. "He's made a donation, he's not required to have admitted any wrongdoing.

But for others, the settlement was a lucky escape for Andrew.

"Especially combined with knowing that Virginia Giuffre's lawyer is fantastic at cross-examining people and we've seen how appalling Andrew was when he was interviewed in 2019 - it made you cringe," Angela Levin, royal biographer, told CGTN.

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"He's been stripped of his title and some of his privileges, but frankly the experience he's had pales in comparison to the experience Virginia has had over the last couple of decades and that survivors of sexual violence deal with day in and day out when nobody believes them," said Mandu Reid of the UK's Women's Equality Party.

Last month, Andrew was stripped of his honorary military titles, and charitable roles after U.S. judge Lewis Kaplan denied his plea to dismiss Giuffre's case. Royal observers believe the royal family would want to move on as soon as possible from the case after the settlement, but the fate of the disgraced prince, and his future role in serving the country, is uncertain.

_{Cover image: REUTERS/Chris Radburn/File Photo}