Virginia Giuffre’s family members are locked in battle over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s settlement as they fight for control of her estate.
A fierce inheritance dispute has erupted amongst Ms Giuffre’s relatives, as she died in April without leaving formal testamentary instructions, setting the stage for a complex legal confrontation over her considerable assets.
The 41-year-old’s wealth, accumulated through various legal settlements including compensation from high-profile figures linked to her trafficking allegations, has become the subject of competing claims from multiple family members.
Her estranged husband Robert Giuffre, siblings Sky Roberts and Danny Wilson, and her children have all staked claims to portions of the multi-million-pound estate.
The Supreme Court of Western Australia is preparing to hear arguments this Friday, with relatives positioning themselves for what promises to be a contentious battle over both financial assets and control of her planned charity for trafficking survivors.
The estate encompasses the reported £12million settlement from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, negotiated in 2022 to resolve civil proceedings.
The payment came without any admission of liability from Andrew, who has persistently rejected all allegations against him.
Additional assets include $500,000 (£378,025) received from Jeffrey Epstein in 2009 when she resolved trafficking and abuse claims against him, plus an undisclosed sum from Ghislaine Maxwell following their 2017 civil case settlement.
Jeffrey Epstein abuse survivor Virginia Giuffre accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, which he denies | PA
Her property portfolio features four Australian homes, including a $2.5million (£1.8million) beachfront residence in Ocean Reef, Perth, and the Neergabby farmhouse where she died.
Several million pounds from Andrew’s settlement remain in escrow, earmarked for her planned charity Speak Out, Act, Reclaim (SOAR).
Mr Giuffre’s inheritance prospects face fierce resistance from his wife’s siblings, who have engaged legal representation to contest his claim to the fortune.
Brothers Mr Roberts and Mr Wilson are mounting a challenge against the estranged husband’s potential entitlement under Western Australian spousal inheritance laws.
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A photograph of Andrew alongside Virginia Giuffre when she was 17 years old, taken at the Belgravia home of socialite Ghislaine Maxwell
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Ms Giuffre’s paternal aunt, Kimberley Roberts, told The Telegraph: “We don’t believe they have a right to it. The estate should go to her children only.”
The brothers are reportedly seeking substantial portions of the estate whilst also pursuing control of SOAR, the charity for trafficking survivors that Ms Giuffre established but never fully launched before her death.
Christian, 19, and Noah, 18, had previously attempted to secure administrative control of their mother’s estate in June, whilst their youngest sibling remains a minor.
Mr Giuffre’s potential inheritance faces a significant obstacle in the form of correspondence his late wife allegedly sent to her solicitor, explicitly stating she wished to exclude him from any financial benefit.
Virginia Giuffre (right) photographed at an event in 2019 | GETTY
This email emerged after he initiated divorce proceedings in February, just two months before her death.
Under Western Australian inheritance legislation, a surviving spouse typically receives a lump sum plus one-third of the remaining estate when someone dies intestate.
However, Ms Giuffre’s documented wishes could complicate his automatic entitlement.
Court documents reveal allegations of controlling conduct, with Ms Giuffre claiming in private diaries: “Robert’s behavior became more controlling. The stronger I became, the scarier he became.”
She was hospitalised in January following an alleged assault, though Mr Giuffre subsequently obtained a restraining order against her and secured temporary custody of their younger children.
The Supreme Court of Western Australia appointed solicitor Ian Torrington Blatchford on Monday to assume temporary administration of the estate, following a legal challenge from Ms Giuffre’s lawyer, Karrie Louden and housekeeper Cheryl Myers.
This interim arrangement permits multiple estate challenges to advance, alongside existing civil proceedings, including a defamation action brought by Rina Oh, who alleges Ms Giuffre falsely portrayed her as Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice rather than a victim.
Mr Blatchford’s appointment grants him authority over Ms Giuffre’s posthumous memoir “Nobody’s Girl”, published in October, which contained allegations of childhood abuse against her father, Sky Roberts – claims he has strenuously rejected.
Friday’s case management hearing at Perth’s Supreme Court will determine the next steps in resolving the competing claims over the multi-million-pound estate.