Prince Andrew at Balmoral ahead of potential court dispute

Prince Andrew is currently at Balmoral as attempts are reportedly being made to serve him court papers relating to a civil case against him in the United States.

Virginia Giuffre, formerly Roberts, is suing Prince Andrew, alleging that he sexually abused her when she was 17 years old. Last month she filed papers at a court in New York and Prince Andrew is yet to respond but has previously firmly denied any allegation of wrongdoing.

Papers relating to the case can’t be handed to anyone else other than the Duke of York, with the Sun newspaper reporting that several attempts have been made to do so. There is no confirmation whether he has received these documents, he will have 21 days to formally respond after accepting them.

Yesterday the Duke of York was observed with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, leaving Royal Lodge near Windsor before the pair travelled to the Queen’s Balmoral estate where she is currently on holiday.

The three options available to Prince Andrew are to contest the issue in court, settle out of court, or remain silent. Anything the Duke says could potentially be used against him in the future, yet if he remains silent it is unknown how an American judge would response to his lack of engagement. Again, Prince Andrew has strenuously denied any allegations of wrongdoing.

The Duke of York had previously stepped back as a senior member of the Royal Family after an interview with BBC Newsnight in 2019, an event almost universally referred to as a car crash interview following the large backlash he received.