Prince Charles is reportedly set to foot a part of the bill for Prince Andrew’s sexual abuse lawsuit.

The Prince of Wales will reportedly loan the Duke of York up to £7million, which will not include public money after the royal agreed to pay a huge sum to his accuser Virginia Roberts to settle the case before it reached a jury.

Ms. Roberts had alleged she was forced to have sex with the duke three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

In January, she was given the go-ahead to sue Andrew, 61, for unspecified damages in a New York civil court. But despite vowing to fight the allegations and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince last month agreed to pay a huge sum, reported to be some £12 million, to settle the case.

The Duke of York has ten days to pay the money to Ms. Roberts as part of his deal, according to The Sun.

He will pay back Prince Charles when he sells his ski chalet in Verbier, Switzerland.

A source told The Sun: ‘There were family discussions about how to ”take a little from here and a little from there”. 

‘Once it (money from the chalet) hits his bank account, he can pay back his brother and whoever else has lent him money.

‘But that payment (to Virginia) has to be paid on time.’ 

Last month it was claimed the Queen would also foot part of the bill for Prince Andrew’s sexual abuse lawsuit, according to the Telegraph.

It came as Prince Andrew settled the sexual abuse lawsuit with Ms. Roberts and said he would make a ‘substantial donation’ to her charity supporting victims’ rights.  He also praised her ‘bravery’ and that of other trafficking victims, saying he had ‘never intended’ to malign her character.

The duke said in his statement that he ‘regretted his association with Epstein’ and pledged to demonstrate this ‘by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims’.