Prince Andrew served with lawsuit by Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre over sexual assault allegations

Lawyers for the woman suing the Duke of York over sexual assault allegations have claimed to have served legal papers on him, according to a document filed in a New York court.

The lawyers, who represent Virginia Giuffre, say in the document that the civil lawsuit was handed to a Metropolitan Police officer who was on duty at the main gates of the The Royal Lodge, Windsor Great Park, on August 27 at 9.30am.

The filing says this is “consistent with the provisions for service upon an individual defendant, under Section 6 of the Civil Procedure Rules, as required by the Supreme Court of Judicature in England & Wales”.

Andrew has vehemently denied the allegations in the past, and it is unclear whether his laywers will agree that the legal papers have been served on him, as they were not handed to him personally.

The document filed in the US district court for the southern district of New York says there was a first attempt to serve the papers on the duke on August 26, when an agent went to Windsor Great Park.

A Metropolitan Police officer who was the head of security said they had been told not to accept service of any court process, or let anyone trying to serve legal papers on to the property.

The agent returned the next day and was told the court process could be left with the police officer at the main gate “and that this matter would then be forwarded on to the legal team”.

The document says the complaint, the summons and other papers were enclosed “in a plastic sleeve and then in an A4 envelope, addressed to the said defendant, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, at the address” and then left with the police officer.

It says within 21 days of the summons the plaintiff must be served an answer to the complaint, and “if you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint”.