NO HIDING PLACE: High Court agrees to contact Prince Andrew over US sex assault claim
THE High Court has agreed to formally notify Prince Andrew about Virginia Giuffre’s bombshell sex assault claims – raising the possibility he may have to give evidence.
The court had been asked by Ms Giuffre to formally contact the Duke of York over a civil law suit launched against him in the United States.
The decision means her lawyers should finally be able to serve legal papers to the Royal.
They claimed they were unable to do so because Andrew was staying at Balmoral with the Queen instead of at his Windsor home.
After highlighting an issue with the application, the High Court said later: “The lawyers acting for Ms Giuffre have now provided further information to the High Court.
“The High Court has accepted the request for service under the Hague Service Convention.”
The convention governs requests between countries for evidence in civil or commercial matters.
The High Court statement continued: “The legal process has not yet been served but the High Court will now take steps to serve under the convention, unless service is arranged by agreement between the parties.”
The question about whether Andrew had been properly notified was a major topic at the pre-trial hearing at the US district court for the southern district of New York.
The first session was held on Monday when the Duke’s attorney, Andrew B Brettler, said their legal team had “significant concerns” about the lawsuit.
The lawyer stated that Ms Giuffre had previously entered into a “settlement agreement” that would nullify her case.
Despite Andrew being represented in court, his team also claimed he had not been officially notified about the civil case – reported around the world.
Mr Brettler said during the hearing – held via telephone conference – that the Duke’s team contested “the validity of service to date”, adding he has not been properly served under either UK or international law.
David Boies, representing Ms Giuffre, said that the complaint had been “delivered to the last known address of the defendant” and added that the documents had also been sent “by Royal Mail”.
He has previously said that Andrew “cannot hide behind wealth and palace walls” and must respond to the allegations. Ms Giuffre’s legal team then asked the High Court in London to formally notify Andrew about her civil action.
She is suing the Queen’s son for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager, seeking unspecified damages.
But there is speculation the sum could be in the millions of dollars. Ms Giuffre claims she was trafficked by Andrew’s former friend and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with the Duke when she was aged 17 and a minor under US law. Epstein killed himself in his jail cell in 2019. Andrew, 61, has vehemently denied all the allegations. He was pictured with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson on a lawn outside Balmoral Castle yesterday as the High Court agreed to formally notify him about Ms Giuffre’s claim.
The Queen, 95, is currently in residence there.