Prince Andrew is getting his financial affairs in order ahead of his alleged sex abuse case. The prince settled a £6.6 million debt ($8.9 million) with a former friend who sold her chalet to Andrew and then-wife Sarah Ferguson.
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Former Friend Sued Prince Andrew Over Unpaid Debt
Isabelle de Rouvre, a French socialite, sold her Swiss ski chalet to Andrew and Ferguson in 2014 for £18 million. The two parties agreed that payments would be given out in installments. However, de Rouvre claims she never received the final installment: £5 million.
De Rouvre agreed to a deferred payment and expected the final payment by December 2019, with interest accrued. Despite repeated demands, Andrew and Ferguson did not pay up, forcing de Rouvre to take them to court.
The legal battle, which played out in Swiss courts, started two years ago in an attempt to get the final £5 million. Andrew finally paid late last year, with de Rouvre saying, “The war is over. He has paid the money.”
A friend of de Rouvre said the court case has been very hard on the socialite: “It has been hugely stressful for Isabelle. She sold the chalet in good faith. She thought they were friends. But it all went bad. It has been upsetting and stressful. She should not have been dragged into all this. It’s a relief for her that the Yorks have now paid and she can sever ties.”
Will He Sell The Chalet To Pay Legal Bills?
While many are wondering where and how the prince got the money, others have noted that the settlement means Andrew can now sell the chalet. The money he would get from the sale would likely go towards paying his legal bills. It’s rumored the prince has already found a buyer and is finalizing the sale now.
Ferguson and their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, were seen in Verbier, the town where the chalet is located, over the holidays. Some wonder if it was their last hurrah at their former vacation home before it is sold.
Now that the prince has settled this legal issue, he can turn his attention to his ongoing sexual abuse case. Virginia Roberts Giuffre claims that the prince had sex with her three times after she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegations. Many are wondering if the royal family will banish him from public life as his court date gets closer.