There is now a looming court case over who inherits Virginia Giuffre’s wealth – which includes a reported £12m pay-off from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
The estranged husband and daughter of tragic Virginia Giuffre have been formally added to court proceedings in the explosive legal battle for herestate. Ms Giuffre, the most high profile victim of paedophile finance Jeffery Epstein, took her own life last year She was famously pictured alongside the then Prince Andrew in the now notorious photograph which has led to his dramatic downfall and departure from the Royal family. Because of her complicated family situation there is now a looming court case over who inherits her wealth – which includes a reported £12m pay-off from Andrew. It remains unclear how much money is left and how much of the £12m pay-off went on legal costs.
Supreme Court Justice Natalie Whitby last week ordered Robert Giuffre and their daughter, who cannot be named because she is a minor, be added to the counterclaim alongside sons Christian, 19, and Noah, 18.
Registrar Danielle Davies said of her estranged husband: “It appears to me that the deceased’s husband should be joined or at the very least notified.” Ms Guiffre died without an official formal will, and her sons first applied to be appointed administrators of her estate in the Supreme Court last year.
But her barrister Karrie Louden and former carer and housekeeper Cheryl Myers quickly moved to challenge that.
They claim Ms Giuffre had written an informal will outlining her wishes prior to her death, and that they should be administrators of the estate.
A hearing in front of a registrar earlier in the year considered how Mr Giuffre and the daughter might be added to the brothers’ claim, including an independent guardian to represent the young girl’s interests, to avoid any conflict.
Judge Whitby’s orders, made last Wednesday, mean the two are now officially defendants alongside Christian and Noah Giuffre. The case will return to court in Perth on 3rd July for a case management conference.
A legal source said: “The dispute is between Giuffre’s adult sons, who initially applied to administer the estate because no formal signed will had been found, and Louden and Myers, who argue Giuffre’s informal written wishes should be recognised under Western Australia succession law
“The current case is about whether the informal document is legally valid, who should administer the estate, and ultimately how the estate should be handled.”
Court documents filed by the sons reportedly state: “The deceased did not intend for such instructions to constitute her will.”
The counterclaim from Karrie Louden and Cheryl Myers relies on wording allegedly written by Giuffre herself: “I appoint Cheryl MYERS and Karrie Jean LOUDEN as my executors and trustees.”
She took her own life in April last year at her farm near Neergabby, 12 miles north of Perth. The exact worth of Ms Giuffre’s estate is yet to be determined after she amassed several civil settlement payments related to allegations she was sex trafficked as a teenager by Epstein, including the huge settlement from former Prince Andrew.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor accepted no liability and has always rejected her claims.
Meanwhile pressure is mounting on Buckingham Palace over a claim it received emails six years ago which showed the former Prince Andrew shared confidential information while a trade envoy.
And analysis by BBC journalists found a tranche of emails, with information about the ex-royal’s financial dealings, was handed to the Royal Household in 2020.
The BBC said it had seen a document from 2021 that appeared to show the archive was sent to Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer in the Royal Household, in May 2020 – months after MountbattenWindsor stepped down from working royal duties.
The revelation led to fresh calls for an inquiry into Mountbatten-Windsor’s time as trade envoy from 2001 to 2011 and his links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. MP Rachael Maskell said public scrutiny was essential, adding: “The web grows ever darker – the system built around the Royal Household has to be reviewed.”
Yesterday, the palace said it was not possible to comment due to the ongoing police inquiry into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
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