[ti:Observers: Opinion of Prince Andrew Permanently Hurt by Sex Case] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:01.80]Prince Andrew's decision to settle a claim [00:06.40]that he sexually abused an underage woman years ago [00:12.16]may bring an end to his legal difficulties. [00:16.32]It will not, however, repair the damage done to his reputation. [00:22.28]It likely means he will never return to a public, royal life. [00:29.72]The settlement by the 61-year-old Duke of York [00:34.24]includes a payment to Virginia Giuffre. [00:38.72]She is a woman who had accused him [00:41.72]of sexually abusing her when she was young. [00:45.84]The amount of the payment was not made public. [00:50.04]The settlement was revealed on Tuesday [00:53.40]in a court filing in New York City. [00:56.60]It said that the prince had never meant to insult Giuffre. [01:02.84]That marked an unusual change. [01:06.20]The prince's lawyers had accused Giuffre [01:10.16]of seeking money with a "baseless" claim. [01:14.96]Andrew has said as recently as late January [01:19.24]that he wanted the case to be heard before a United States jury. [01:25.32]Royal experts said after the settlement [01:28.96]that Andrew would likely not be able to return [01:33.08]to public life as a member of royalty. [01:37.36]Britons who spoke to Reuters [01:39.92]said the case had done serious damage [01:43.00]to the whole royal family. [01:45.48]Insurance worker Anthony Joho said the situation [01:50.64]had destroyed the reputation of a family [01:53.68]that represents the nation. [01:56.12]Once you see the real human being, [01:59.64]"it's hard to maintain their actual role [02:03.56]as a royal family," he said. [02:06.72]At the heart of the case was the financier [02:10.32]and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, [02:13.36]who committed suicide in jail in 2019, [02:17.64]and his friend Ghislaine Maxwell. [02:21.28]Maxwell was recently found guilty [02:24.32]in the U.S. of sexually abusing young, underage women. [02:30.08]Royal expert Penny Junor told Reuters [02:34.64]that Andrew's failure to show any support [02:37.96]for Epstein's victims had been unforgivable. [02:43.60]"He came across as a really unsympathetic figure," she said. [02:49.32]Andrew has always denied that he forced Giuffre [02:54.20]to have sex more than 20 years ago [02:57.24]at the London home of Maxwell, Epstein's home in Manhattan, [03:03.16]and Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. [03:07.72]The prince did not admit guilt in the settlement. [03:12.48]In 2019, he gave a disastrous interview to the BBC, [03:18.52]saying he had no memory of Giuffre. [03:22.28]He also said he did not regret his friendship with Epstein [03:27.24]because of all the business people he had met. [03:31.60]In January, Andrew lost his military links and royal patronages, [03:38.32]and gave up his "Royal Highness" title. [03:41.84]Andrew's problems have come at a difficult time for the British royal family. [03:47.68]Among other things, it has been called racist [03:52.24]by the queen's grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. [03:57.72]Royal experts say the Queen and senior members of the royal family [04:03.48]still receive great respect from the British public. [04:08.48]But public opinion studies already show [04:12.24]that support for the royals among younger people has decreased a lot. [04:18.60]Many are questioning how the prince will pay Giuffre. [04:23.12]Graham Smith is the head of the anti-monarchy group Republic. [04:29.72]"There are lots of questions about Andrew's personal wealth [04:34.16]and how he manages to fund the lifestyle he leads," he said. [04:40.92]Buckingham Palace did not comment on the settlement. [04:46.84]I'm Susan Shand. [04:51.28]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM