Some PR advice for the Andrew-stricken royals try something that look less like a $12m cover-up | Marina Hyde

"I could have worse tags than Air Miles Andy', the then Prince Andrew once reflected. Although I don't know what they are! I think it's safe to say he does now. Almost all senior members of the royal family are biologically capable of sweating, and what really brought them out in a cold one four years ago was the thought of this honking liability testifying in a New York courtroom. So they paid millions upon millions to make sure it didn't happen."

"The late Virginia Giuffre's civil case alleging that the former prince abused her on three occasions in London, New York and the US Virgin Islands was never heard, because the late queen seems to have decided that it shouldn't be at almost any cost. (Andrew denied all claims of wrongdoing.) And yet, as many of us predicted at the time, this would never be the end of it, and the royal family are now playing a failing game of catch-up with the institution's own actions."

"The Windsors are incredibly tight with their own money and have spent generations in arguments and internecine sulks about how it is spread around. Before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped away from their roles, money rows were a big part of Harry's but also William's friction with their father, now king. The idea that this bunch would fork over a reported $12m, plus seven figures of Andrew's legal costs, without some fairly frank family discussions is just bollocks."

Prince Andrew faced a civil claim from Virginia Giuffre alleging abuse in London, New York and the US Virgin Islands. The case never proceeded to trial because the late queen funded a settlement that prevented testimony in New York. The royal family paid millions, reportedly including a $12m settlement and seven-figure legal fees, to avoid public litigation. Andrew was stripped of royal duties in an effort to limit fallout, but that has not fully contained consequences. The monarchy's secretive finances and long-standing internal disputes over money have complicated accountability. The king says he did not contribute; funds reportedly came from the late queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's estate.

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