The silence that has shielded Britain’s royal family for over two decades shattered in a Manhattan federal courtroom on November 11, 2025, when a previously anonymous witness from Ghislaine Maxwell’s 2021 trial took the stand in a sealed deposition — and delivered a confession that could rewrite royal history.

The witness, identified only as “Jane Doe #4” in court filings but revealed by sources as Carolyn Andriano, a former Epstein victim who testified against Maxwell, dropped a bombshell under oath: Virginia Giuffre told her directly, in 2001, that she had been with Prince Andrew in London — just days after the now-infamous photo was taken at Ghislaine Maxwell’s Belgravia townhouse.

“I was 14 when I first met Virginia,” Andriano testified, her voice cracking as she gripped the stand. “She came back from London… she was shaken. She said, ‘I was with him. The prince. They made me.’ She kept saying, ‘I didn’t want to, but they told me I had to.’”

The deposition, part of an ongoing civil suit filed by Giuffre against a former Epstein associate, was meant to remain sealed. But within hours of the testimony, leaked transcripts surfaced on X, igniting a firestorm that reached Buckingham Palace before sunrise.

Andriano’s account directly contradicts Prince Andrew’s 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, where he denied ever meeting Giuffre, claimed he had no recollection of the photograph, and offered the now-mocked alibi that he was at a Pizza Express in Woking with his daughter on the night in question.

But Andriano didn’t stop there. She testified that Giuffre showed her a Polaroid — not the one released publicly, but a second, more explicit image allegedly taken inside Maxwell’s home. “Virginia said Ghislaine took it,” Andriano claimed. “She said, ‘This is my insurance. If they ever come for me, I’ll use it.’”

The photo has not been made public — but sources say Giuffre’s legal team has submitted it to the court under seal, along with a handwritten note from Giuffre dated March 17, 2001, reading: “London was worse than Palm Beach. He touched me. I cried. Ghislaine said, ‘You’re doing this for Jeffrey.’”

Prince Andrew’s team moved swiftly. By 8 a.m. London time, a statement from Buckingham Palace called the testimony “recycled fiction” and vowed to “vigorously contest” any attempt to reopen the 2022 settlement, in which the Duke paid Giuffre an estimated $16 million to drop her civil suit without admitting liability.

But the damage was already done. #RoyalLies trended globally within minutes, with over 2.1 million posts by noon. A clip of Andriano’s testimony — smuggled out despite the sealed proceedings — racked up 12 million views on TikTok, set to a haunting piano cover of the British national anthem.

This isn’t the first time Andriano has spoken out. She was a star witness in Maxwell’s 2021 trial, testifying that she was paid $300 each time she brought girls to Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion. But she remained silent about Giuffre’s royal claims — until now.

Why speak after 24 years? “Because I’m done being afraid,” Andriano told the court. “Virginia fought alone for too long. They buried her. They buried all of us. But I have a daughter now. And I won’t let her grow up in a world where princes get to hide.”

The timing couldn’t be worse for the monarchy. King Charles, already navigating a slimmed-down reign amid health concerns, has spent 2025 trying to distance the Crown from Andrew’s scandals. The Duke was stripped of his HRH title and military affiliations in 2022, but he’s remained a persistent shadow — spotted at Balmoral this summer, still funded by the royal purse.

Now, insiders say Charles is “livid.” One palace source told The Sun: “The King wants Andrew gone — completely. This testimony is the final nail. He’s told aides: ‘No more money. No more access. No more excuses.’”

But Andrew isn’t going quietly. His legal team, led by high-powered attorney Gary Bloxsome, has filed an emergency motion to strike Andriano’s testimony, calling her “a convicted perjurer with a vendetta.” (Andriano served 18 months in 2006 for drug-related charges — a fact the defense is leaning into heavily.)

Meanwhile, Giuffre — watching from Australia — broke her silence on Instagram with a single post: a black square and the caption, “The truth doesn’t need permission.” Within minutes, #IStandWithVirginia surged past 1 million uses.

The fallout is spreading. Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s ex-wife, was photographed leaving a London clinic looking “ashen,” according to paparazzi. Princess Beatrice, once her father’s fiercest defender, has gone dark on social media. And Princess Eugenie reportedly told friends she’s “done protecting him.”

Even Hollywood is reacting. A-lister Reese Witherspoon, a vocal #MeToo advocate, tweeted: “Believing women isn’t political. It’s survival. #GiuffreSpeaks” — a post that drew 400,000 likes and a swift unfollow from several British brands.

Legal experts say the testimony could reopen the 2022 settlement. “If new evidence emerges showing Giuffre perjured herself — or was coerced — the agreement could be voided,” says Dr. Emily Finch, a barrister specializing in defamation. “But if Andriano’s account holds, Andrew’s denials collapse. And settlements don’t shield you from criminal scrutiny forever.”

The FBI, which has remained largely silent since Epstein’s 2019 death, issued a rare statement: “We continue to review all credible leads related to the Epstein investigation.” Translation: They’re watching.

Back in the courtroom, Andriano’s final words hung in the air like smoke: “I was a child. Virginia was a child. And they used us like toys. Prince or pauper — no one gets to hide behind a crown forever.”

As the judge adjourned, reporters swarmed. One shouted: “Do you believe Prince Andrew should face charges?” Andriano paused, looked straight into the cameras, and said: “I believe in justice. And justice doesn’t wear a crown.”

The royal lie has been spoken aloud. And now, the world is listening.