On Monday afternoon, New York time, a pre-trial conference will begin in a lawsuit brought against Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, accusing him of sexual abuse.
Key points:
- Prince Andrew is being sued in a US federal court by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claims he sexually assaulted and trafficked her
- Ms Giuffre’s lawyers say the prince has been served with the lawsuit, and has to respond by September 17
- The prince denies all the allegations, and has previously said he cannot remember meeting Ms Giuffre
It is the latest crisis to beset the royal family, which has endured loss, with the death of Prince Philip in April; division through the acrimonious departure of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan; and scandal, with Prince Andrew’s run-ins with the law and his demotion from being a working royal.
Last month, Virginia Roberts Giuffre brought forward a lawsuit under the Child Victims Act to allege she was trafficked and abused on multiple occasions by the prince.
Prince Andrew, 61, has denied the claims.
On Friday it was revealed Ms Giuffre’s lawyers had served Prince Andrew with the lawsuit, with an affidavit filed with the US District Court in Manhattan showing a copy of the lawsuit was left with police protection officers who guard the Royal Lodge, the duke’s home in Windsor.
Ms Giuffre has previously made allegations against the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein – a former friend of the duke’s – Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell and Prince Andrew…
