The passing of Virginia Giuffre will be leaving questions that are now sure to go unanswered.
Her name will forever be linked to the sex scandals and criminality of the late billionaire child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his entourage – with Ms Giuffre being one of the most high-profile among his accusers, exposing the trafficking and sexual abuse of young women.
The Infamous Photograph of Virginia and Prince Andrew
The picture of her and Prince Andrew, shot in London in 2001, became synonymous with the royal’s connection to Epstein and was at the heart of his catastrophic Newsnight appearance in 2019.
Where the picture came from is still unclear. But Ms Giuffre’s death lends another twist to the mystery over what must have unknowingly become one of the most-seen pictures of royal history.
The Fate of Those Involved: Virginia Giuffre’s Life and Death
Epstein who it was claimed snapped the photo died in prison awaiting sex trafficking charges.
Ghislaine Maxwell who assisted him to abuse young women and is second from the right of Prince Andrew and Ms Giuffre is in a US prison. Prince Andrew has been forced off all public work. And Virginia Giuffre, smiling youngster in the snap, is dead.
Ms Giuffre, who was born in America, took her own life on her farm in Western Australia at the age of 41, her family announced on Friday.
Prince Andrew’s Denial and Settlement
Prince Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing with Ms Giuffre, they settled out of court in 2022, with Prince Andrew making an undisclosed amount of money.
A statement accompanying the settlement made him sorry on his behalf – but did not include an admission of liability or an apology. Prince Andrew has never denied any of the allegations made against him.
The threat of Prince Andrew going to court in New York was avoided by the settlement, but it had been a gigantic headache for the Royal Family, and Prince Andrew was quickly stripped of all official public duties. His reputation has never recovered.
Lingering Questions and Lasting Impact
At this point, there is still a great deal that is not yet known about Ms Giuffre’s final days or her personal situation.
But as her family have said, as a young woman, she had the courage to confront a poisonous combination of power, money and privilege in the orbit around Epstein, which sexually abused so many girls.
There will be doubts the long shadow of Epstein’s toxic abuse of wealth and power has indirectly cost another victim.
