Royals in crisis: Prince Andrew will be served court papers ‘in person’ as royal crisis talks continue

Prince Andrew could be served court documents ‘in person’ over a sex assault lawsuit brought against him by an Australian woman, as the royal family met for crisis talks.

Prince Andrew will be served court papers “in person”, according to a lawyer representing Virginia Roberts Giuffre, the Australian woman who had accused the royal of rape.

Ms Giuffre’s lawyer said that they needed to serve the Duke of York before the start of a 21 day-period in which he will have to respond, with the first court hearing due in September.

“We present him with a copy of the complaint in a formal way,” Ms Giuffre’s lawyer David Boies told the UK’s Telegraph. “Because he is a foreign citizen, we have to do this under The Hague Convention.”

It is the first time Andrew has been subject to a civil lawsuit over the allegations, which were first made public 10 years ago.

Prince Andrew has “categorically” denied the claims.

Meantime, Andrew is holding crisis talks with lawyers after joining the Queen at Balmoral, according to The Sun.

The Duke of York has remained resolutely silent since Ms Giuffre lodged her claim for damages against him over allegations that he assaulted her three times in 2001 when she was 17.

Ms Giuffre – who was a victim of the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein – filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew in a New York court.

‘CRISIS TALKS’

Senior royals gathered at the Queen’s Scottish holiday home in the wake of the sex abuse allegations lobbied against Prince Andrew by Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre.

Prince Andrew had already arrived in Balmoral where he faced his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Monday after news of the sensational lawsuit broke.

It has since emerged the disgraced royal is unlikely to attend the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, marking her 70th year as head of state, next summer should he still be embroiled in the incendiary civil case.

Elsewhere the head of Scotland Yard, Dame Cressida Dick, warned British police would assist any inquiries into the Duke of York’s sex abuse allegations.

It comes as Prince Andrew’s older brother, Prince Charles, attended the Highland Games in Aberdeenshire, sporting a kilt, walking stick and tweed jacket.

The future king was spotted out on a drive in the Scottish Highlands – before he faced crisis talks with other senior royals about his brother’s sex abuse lawsuit in the US.

The heir to the throne, 72, was behind the wheel of a Range Rover as he made his way past the Balmoral estate back to his own neighbouring Birkhall residence with just an aide for company.

The Prince of Wales had been touring Scotland as part of his latest round of royal engagements with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

– with The Sun

Originally published as Royals in crisis: Prince Andrew will be served court papers ‘in person’ as royal crisis talks continue