Inside Prince Andrew's Crisis Talks
The allegations of sexual abuse surrounding Prince Andrew have been a dark cloud over the royal family in recent years, and according to The Daily Mail, the Duke of York is now holding crisis talks with his advisers and senior members of the royal family.
The crisis talks in question are being held in regards to Virginia Giuffre's sex abuse lawsuit against Prince Andrew, who royal insiders claim has had a "disastrous" time attempting to fight the damning allegations.
Royal sources also claim that there has been a "lack of communication and cohesion" between the Duke's legal team in the United Kingdom and his newly appointed U.S. lawyers about how to address the allegations and that the senior royal's lawyers on both sides of the pond have been "outwitted and out-played" by Giuffre's attorney, David Boies.
Other insiders have also revealed that the Duke of York has been considering whether or not to continue working alongside his current his London-based legal team, who have so far advised Prince Andrew to stay silent on Giuffre's claims. However, another source stated that "It could be very counter-productive to change horses at this stage."
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
Prince Andrew is reportedly worried about his reputation
Despite some claiming that the Duke should stay with his current legal representation, other insiders warn that sticking to the advice of not putting out a statement, even "just to reiterate his denial" of Giuffre's allegations, has already seen his "reputation shredded in the court of public opinion." The source added, "I think it's highly likely we could see some movement on the duke's strategy at least in the next few days" (via The Daily Mail).
Prince Andrew's U.K. legal team is fronted by Gary Bloxsome, who was hired by the senior royal following his rough interview with the BBC's "Newsnight" in 2019. Speaking to The Mirror, a royal source said Bloxsome's plan has "been shambolic from the start."
The insider continued, "Now it's all come to a head. He is extremely worried and the crisis talks are so he can get off the back foot. He knows he's in a full-on crisis ... The damage to his reputation is there for all to see but now he's feeling the pressure from his family, though none of them have become directly involved."
Per the BBC, Giuffre filed a lawsuit in August 2021 against Prince Andrew under New York's Child Victims Act, alleging that he sexually abused her at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell, and at the Manhattan and U.S. Virgin Islands residencies of Jeffrey Epstein. A spokesperson for the Duke said there was "no comment" on the allegations at the time.