Royal Announcement on Andrew Viewed as 'Justification' for Virginia Giuffre, Says Relatives
The momentous declaration from Buckingham Palace stripping Andrew Mountbatten Windsor of his royal status is seen as an "acknowledgment" that something occurred to the late Virginia Giuffre, her family have stated.
Through its announcement on Thursday, the royal establishment indicated that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor â as he is now known â will additionally vacate his mansion in Windsor, Royal Lodge, since his links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein persist in generating public debate.
Their announcement concluded with: âTheir majesties aim to emphasize that their thoughts and deepest sympathies have been and will remain with the affected individuals and survivors of every forms of mistreatment.â
Family Reaction: Recognition and Accountability
Asked whether the statement suggested that the monarch believes Virginia rather than Andrew, her brother Sky Roberts remarked: âAbsolutely, I think that heâs speaking distinctly in that announcement when he states heâs with survivors out there.
âItâs an acknowledgment that events took place, incidents transpired. We are witnessing a shift,â he added.
Giuffreâs sister-in-law, Amanda Roberts, said: âTo put that acknowledgment out for survivors is huge. It's unprecedented that from other parties, and recognizing that there are affected individuals in this situation is an acknowledgment that wrongdoing did occur.
âIt is the initial step for that resolution for those impacted. It is first the admission that something went on here. There was real trauma that happened to these adolescent females.â
In a posthumous memoir, Giuffre â who died recently â repeated allegations that, in her youth, she had intimate relations with Mountbatten Windsor on three separate occasions. The Duke has always denied any misconduct. He resolved a civil case with Giuffre for a reported ÂŁ12m without accepting of liability.
She characterized the announcement by the royal family as a âtriumphâ and âvindication for our sisterâ.
âWe are so exceptionally admiring of her, but then the sadness hits because one hopes she could be present to share this moment alongside her â a moment that she has been anticipating, for a considerable period,â she added.
Support Organizations React: Significant Statement for Survivors
Womenâs rights advocates and advocacy groups likewise welcomed the move by the monarchy, with some saying it conveyed an vital message to survivors of abuse.
A representative, head of Refuge, stated it was âhighly impactful to see survivors acknowledged so directly in a statement from the royal householdâ, adding that it sent a message that âsurvivors matter, that their experiences are trusted, and that they merit to be at the heart of public discussions about mistreatmentâ.
Another advocate, the director at the Fawcett Society, commented âit is a positive acknowledgment that the true sufferers here are not discomfited officials or disgraced princes, but the women and girls who were abused by entitled, misogynistic men.â
However, she added: âStripping a title, or relocating can not be considered genuine responsibility or adequate consequence. In fact, a courageous individual, Virginia Giuffre, has lost her life. This was a devastating event, and a indication of the deep effect abuse has on women and girls.â
Honoring Virginia Giuffre: A "Resolute Fighter"
Portraying Giuffreâs character and fight for justice, Sky said she was a âdetermined advocateâ who could also be cheeky and goofy.
âHere we have an regular individual from an ordinary family that achieved something remarkable and in my opinion that is something the world ought to be admiring of.
âGiuffre was a tenacious fighter who refused to back down and spoke out courageously and we are finally getting that acknowledgment that she indeed represented a world hero.â
The palace declined to comment.