The Queen is allegedly helping Prince Charles pay over £12 million to Virginia Giuffre over her sexual assault accusations against him.

Giuffre, also known as Virginia Roberts, made a claim against Andrew for damages in her home country of the US; saying that she was trafficked by Epstein, Andrew's friend, to have sex with the royal when she was 17, a minor under US law.

Following the Civil case filed by Guiffre against him in New York last year, the duke agreed to an undisclosed settlement speculated to be worth more than �12 million.

It states that Andrew will donate to Giuffre's charity in support of victims" rights and that he has pledged to "demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein" by supporting the "fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims".

Although both parties have settled the case, the agreement is not an admission of guilt from the duke and he has always strenuously denied the allegations against him.

One question that's on every UK taxpayer's mind right now is whether the money shall come from the public pockets.

Royal finances expert and author David McClure said there is "enormous public interest" in the sum and the source of the funding being disclosed; telling the PA news agency: "I really think for once the royal family should come clean and say where the money came from."

According to reports by the Telegraph, Andrew is expected to pay more than £12 million pounds part of which shall allegedly be paid by the Queen herself.

Royal expert Adam Helliker told the Sun that the Queen had to contribute because Andrew "doesn't have any income".

He told the Sun: "No-one has that kind of money but his mother. Andrew is not close enough to the Prince of Wales for him to fund that kind of money. He doesn't have any income."

However, this is all speculative as Buckingham Palace is yet to comment on the matter.

In January, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew would be defending the case "as a private citizen".

He receives a Royal Navy pension and the Queen is also thought to fund him from her "21.7m a year Duchy of Lancaster income, but the figure she gives him is kept private.

An order published by US District Judge Lewis Kaplan in response to the settlement letter stated that the "stipulation of dismissal" of the case must be filed by March 17, otherwise it "remains entirely possible that this action will be set for trial when previously indicated".