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Virginia Giuffre’s sudden death will forever remind the public of Prince Andrew’s ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The 41-year-old, who accused the British royal and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by the American financier, took her life on Friday at her farm in Western Australia, her publicist confirmed.
“The death of Virginia Giuffre is a massive shock… and has created further negativity for Prince Andrew,” royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital.
“No doubt her funeral and the people delivering the eulogies will be a lasting reminder of how they think about the besieged prince and how their message will potentially blacken his tarnished reputation even more.”
“This could be a summer of discontent for the royal family as they try to distance themselves any further from scandals,” Turner added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Andrew’s attorney for comment. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital they do not speak for the Duke of York as he is no longer a working royal. The 65-year-old stepped back as a senior royal in 2019.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital there is no turning back for Andrew, who was known as Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite son. He described how it is unlikely that Andrew will ever win over the public again.
“Giuffre’s tragic suicide adds another chapter to the evil legacy of the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein,” Fitzwilliams explained.
“… King Charles has unsuccessfully been trying to evict [Prince Andrew] from Royal Lodge where he has a 75-year lease. Further emails have surfaced showing he was in contact with Epstein longer than he admitted. He joined the royal family for the Easter Service but has no royal role or public support.”
“Virginia Giuffre was ultimately a tragic victim of a brutal pedophile,” he shared. “Any hope Andrew may have had of casting doubt on her evidence… no longer exists. Unless he helps the FBI or takes on some sort of role running the royal estates, or does some charitable work, he doesn’t seem to have a future.”
Giufree, born Virginia Roberts in Sacramento, California, once told interviewers that her childhood was shattered when she was sexually abused as a grade schooler by a man her family knew. She later ran away from home and endured more abuse, she said.
Giuffre separated from her husband and children this year. She had been charged with breaching a family violence restraining order over an incident in February and was set to appear in court in June in the city of Perth, where her estranged husband and children live. She had yet to enter a plea to the charge. A conviction would have carried a potential maximum sentence of two years in prison.
Most recently, Giuffre’s publicist said she was hospitalized after a serious accident.
Giuffre is survived by her three children.
“Giuffre’s death delivers an irrevocable end to the royal scandal cementing Prince Andrew’s public downfall,” said British royal expert Hilary Fordwich.
“His denials, disastrous BBC interview, combined with the outpouring of public sympathy for her, caused irremediable damage and disgrace for him. His actions solidified the public’s perception of him as unlikely to ever rehabilitate his image or return to public duties.”
“Her death does not exonerate him, but merely closes the matter. The stigma, though, remains with unresolved questions persisting in the public consciousness,” Fordwich noted.
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“What would have been prudent and the only way to, in some way repair, at least to a limited extent, his public image, would have been to have served extremely quietly in some way. Instead, he has spent his time riding around Windsor grounds.”
It is believed that Andrew first met Epstein in 1999. Andrew claimed he cut ties with Epstein shortly after the pair were photographed taking a stroll through Central Park.
“Prince Andrew was once a brave pilot in the Falklands War and seemed at home in his 22 years in the navy,” said Fitzwilliams. “The rest of his career has been a catalog of disasters which have been well chronicled. He no longer carries out royal engagements and does not use his HRH, having been stripped of his patronages. He also cannot wear a military uniform.”
Andrew has been attempting to keep a low profile at his palatial Royal Lodge home. He’s reportedly picked up gardening in hopes of pinching a few pennies.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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