[imagesource: Reuters / Andrew Winning]

Prince Andrew’s out of court settlement with Virginia Roberts Giuffre, rumoured to be around £12 million, brings to a close one legal battle.

At least he has his mother to foot the bill on that front because he may have struggled to cobble that together.

The battle to restore his reputation cannot be bought and the public’s reaction to the settlement has been almost unanimous condemnation.

It would likely have done the Royal Family more reputational damage had the civil case played out in New York, with the Duke of York required to testify and undergo cross-examination.

Those who have interacted with Prince Andrew over the past while paint “a pathetic image of him as friendless, spending his days watching TV and potentially even facing eviction”.

NewsAU reports with details from the 31-room home where he lives, Royal Lodge:

[Royal biographer Anna] Pasternak was there as she was working on a biography about Wallis Simpson and Royal Lodge was where King Edward VIII spent his last night before abdicating the throne.

“As Andrew was alone and seemed slightly at a loss – the golf playing on a huge television in a room next door to his study – what was to be a fleeting visit turned into over an hour’s private tour,” she has said, revealing that he wore monogrammed slippers as he showed them around.

A similar account comes via a charity worker who visited Royal Lodge last year to meet with Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s ex-wife, who also lives there:

“Through the doorway he could see the back of a figure he took to be Andrew slumped on a sofa. A huge television was on,” [reporter Richard] Kay wrote.

“When he emerged from his hour-long meeting with the Duchess and retraced his steps, Andrew was still in front of the TV.”

On Saturday, Prince Andrew turned 62.

His birth was greeted with a 41-gun salute and the bells of Westminster Abbey ringing out. This year, not a single member of the house of Windsor sent him wishes via social media and there was zero public fanfare or ceremony.

Brother Charles and nephew William appear to have it very clear that Andrew is now persona non grata.

Still, mother dearest might not be so keen to cut him off:

…Andrew is now forced to visit his 95-year-old mother “under the cover of darkness” with the Sun reporting that he made “secret” night-time sorties every single day last week.

“Andrew has been very careful and is trying to keep out of sight,” a royal insider has said.

Image: Northpix

“He knows there are photographers in the daytime and his best chance to avoid them is after dark.

“He knows he is meant to be keeping his head down and it’s a short trip, but he is extremely contrite and apologised to the Queen for all the trouble he has caused her.”

It is The Sun so ‘royal insiders’ could just be a load of bollocks.

Andrew and Fergie may soon be booted from Royal Lodge, with some reports claiming that William and Kate are eyeing up a move to the area.

Via The Mirror, Buckingham Palace staff are said to be having a right laugh by repurposing an old nursery rhyme:

Palace aides are said to have put a new spin on The Grand Old Duke of York, which references his denials at ever having met Ms Giuffre, reports the Sunday Times.

They have been singing: “The grand old Duke of York, he had 12 million quid.

“He gave it to someone he’d never met, for something he never did.”

That photo of Andrew with Roberts Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell lurking in the background, really did him in.

My sympathy levels can be located somewhere between ‘not an iota’ and ‘sweet FA’.

[sources:newsau&mirror]