Why Reputation Experts Say There Is No Way Back For Prince Andrew

The head of dispute resolution at the law firm Ince has commented on Prince Andrew's situation from a "reputational perspective."

Monday, it was reported that Virginia Giuffre obtained $500,000 through a legal settlement with Jeffrey Epstein. She had accused Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell of forcing her to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was just 17 years old.

Late last month, Maxwell, who had dated Epstein, was found guilty of introducing girls (some as young as 14 years old) to Epstein, who would then sexually abuse them. In 2019, Epstein was arrested for sex trafficking teen girls, then took his own life while in jail, as stated by The Guardian.

What does all of this mean for Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, who is Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip's third child, as well as the ninth royal in line for the throne?

Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein were introduced by Ghislaine Maxwell in 1999. Over the years, Epstein and Maxwell attended royal events. In 2005, rumors of Epstein's sexual abuse began to surface. Even after these reports, though, the Duke of York was spotted with Epstein and even stayed at Epstein's house — all while, according to the BBC, young girls were seen coming and going from the home.

Due to Prince Andrew's link to the Epstein scandal, he was removed from his official royal duties. And now, with more news surrounding the situation being released, Nick Goldstone, the head of dispute resolution at Ince, has shared his opinion on what this means for the royal.

"The fundamental problem for Prince Andrew is that he is yet to put up a substantive defense," Goldstone told The Wall Street Journal. "From a reputational perspective, it is a car crash for him."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).