The Queen ‘to pay off Prince Andrew’s £6.7million ski chalet debt to save son further embarrassment’

THE Queen is to pay off Prince Andrew’s £6.7million ski chalet debt to save her son further embarrassment, it is claimed.

Her Majesty will step in to end the Duke and Duchess of York’s feud with a French socialite over the luxury home in Swiss resort Verbier.

Isabelle de Rouvre sold the Yorks the huge seven-bedroom lodge for £18million in 2014 but she is now pursuing them through the courts, alleging they still owe her £6.7million.

An insider told US jet set mag Air Mail that the Queen will pay the debt herself — to avoid another scandal engulfing her son following the ­Jeffrey Epstein affair.

The source said: “Otherwise it’s going to court and things will get really bad.”

Madame de Rouvre, 74, had become a friend of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, both 60, when they repeatedly rented the chalet.

It is said to boast a 60sq metre indoor pool, a sauna, bar and entertaining area.

Madame de Rouvre employed six full-time staff and let it for more than £22,000-a-week.

After selling it to the Yorks, who remained pals after their 1996 divorce, she claims they missed a December 31 deadline to pay the outstanding amount.

Speaking this month, she said the case was “really difficult”, while a source added it had “severely tarnished” her friendship with Andrew and Fergie.

Air Mail also claims Andrew had gone to his US billionaire paedo pal Epstein’s New York home in 2010 to beg him to help his ex-wife out of debt.

The mag says Fergie had owed a £3.2million bank overdraft.

A source said: “He went with his begging bowl to scrounge for her.

“Everyone in the Royal Family knows this is why he was there.”

On that trip, Andrew was pictured walking with convicted sex offender Epstein, in Central Park — provoking a storm of criticism.

It was claimed in 2011 that Epstein, who killed himself in jail last year, made a £15,000 payment to cover a debt to Fergie’s ex-assistant.

Air Mail said it was not clear whether Epstein ever agreed to repay her £3.2million debt.

A Fergie representative declined to comment on the story but a source close to her claimed all her debts had been settled by the time Andrew visited Epstein.

A spokesman for the prince denied the report, saying: “The Queen will not be stepping in to settle the debt. The chalet is on the market and its sale will enable all outstanding debts to be met.”