What happens next in sex abuse case of royal exile Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew faces a “marathon, not a sprint” as he mounts a legal defence against sex abuse accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre without the backing of the royal family.
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Prince Andrew was effectively thrown out of the royal family by the Queen’s decision to strip away his titles and duties
The move leaves Prince Andrew a “private citizen” as he fights allegations he sexually abused Australian-based Virginia Roberts Giuffre when she was 17, claims which he strongly denies.
The banishment was said to be pushed by Prince Charles and Prince William in an effort to protect the monarchy.
Prince Andrew’s allies have indicated will fight the charges in a “marathon, not a sprint”, potentially using funds of property sales to pay legal expenses or strike a settlement deal.
Ms Roberts Giuffre’s lawyers, meanwhile, will begin the legal process of discovery to probe his records and subpoena witness statements.
This is how the legal battle could play out for the royal exile.
WHICH TITLES ANDREW LOST AND WHICH ONES HE KEPT
Win, lose or draw in court, Prince Andrew will no longer officially hold his 12 military affiliations and royal patronages to the Queen.
His official roles will return to his 95-year-old mother to be distributed among other royal family members.
He loses the titles of His Royal Highness, as well as the honorary titles of Colonel of the Grenadier Guards and RAF Air Commodore. He is also stripped of the official uniforms he would have worn at official events.
Beyond official titles, he loses dozens of patronages for universities, charities, medical institutions and sporting clubs.
He does, however, retain the title Duke of York, the rank of Vice-Admiral in the Navy and keep the medals he earned as a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War.
He also keeps the Order of the Garter and remains a Counsellor of State, which allows him to step in if the Queen is unable to perform her duties.
MOUNTING A LEGAL DEFENCE
The case now goes into the discovery phase, where Prince Andrew will need to give a statement responding to allegations made by Ms Roberts Giuffre.
The defence could also subpoena his family to make sworn statements, potentially dragging in ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie into the case.
Lawyers could also ask for access to his emails, text messages, flight records, and calendars, dating back decades.
He has until July 14 to respond under oath, and if he doesn’t’ first settle out of court, the case could go to trial between September and December 2022.
FACING A JURY TRIAL IN NEW YORK
Sources from his camp have told media that he plans to fight on, with one telling CNN it’s a “marathon, not a sprint, and the Duke will continue to defend himself against these claims.”
“Given the robustness with which Judge Kaplan greeted our arguments, we are unsurprised by the ruling. However, it was not a judgment on the merits of Ms Roberts Giuffre’s allegations,” the source said.
If Prince Andrew takes the stand, he could face questions about dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and their relationship with Ms Roberts Giuffre.
A lawyer for Epstein’s victims, Spencer Kuvin, told the Mirror that, without question, “ the Duke will be asked about his private parts”.
“Nothing is off-limits because if an underage girl can describe what the Duke of York’s private parts look like … how would that be if they had not had a relationship?” he said.
If Andrews doesn’t appeal and simply ignores the ruling without engaging in the process, the court could make a default judgment in his absence, which could be more costly than a settlement.
STRIKING A SETTLEMENT DEAL
Ms Roberts Giuffre’s lawyer David Boies told The Sun that she is “determined to go to trial, but a settlement is always a possibility”.
He added to the BBC that while she doesn’t have a firm view on whether to go to trial or accept a settlement, it’s important that either resolution “vindicates the claim she has made.”
“I think it’s very important to Virginia Giuffre that this matter be resolved in a way that vindicates her and vindicates the other victims,” he added.
That suggests she likely wouldn’t accept a settlement that kept the details sealed, like the settlement reached with Epstein that was not made public until recently the civil case.
That “non-prosecution agreement” agreement gave Ms Giuffre $500,000 in exchange for dropping the case.
That agreement releases “other potential defendants” from being sued, but the judge ruled the case could go forward as that wording ambiguous.
“The determination of the meaning of the release language in the 2009 Agreement must await further proceedings,” he said.
That means Prince Andrew would need to strike a new agreement of his own if he wants to avoid the case going to trial.
LIVING IN EXILE
Legal experts predict a settlement could cost up to $18 million, with The Sun reporting that he plans to use the sale of his Swiss chalet to fund the deal as a private citizen.
He recently sold the property at an exclusive alpine resort in Verbier, Switzerland.
He may also be kicked out of the Royal Lodge, which he leased in 2003 for about $472 a week and currently lives with his ex-wife.
He has spent $14 million refurbishing the 32-bedroom Georgian mansion, but his 75-year lease could be cut short because of the civil case.
If he is booted from the Crown Estate, about three miles from Windsor Castle, he could be relocated to Frogmore Cottage after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s lease runs out in April. He is expected to never return to public life.
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