The Latest Twist In Prince Andrew's Legal Battle Is Turning Heads
The road to court for Prince Andrew has been a long and winding one. After reports broke that Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein's victims, accused Andrew of sexual assault, he went into hiding and was eventually stripped of his royal and military honors.
Now that Andrew is on his way to trial, the timeline is speeding up a bit. Most recently, Giuffre's lawyer announced that he would be "quizzing" Andrew for as long as two days, per the Daily Mail.
Giuffre first accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault of a minor in April 2015, per The Guardian. Buckingham Palace starkly denied the allegations, but the proceedings moved forward anyway.
Ahead of his trial, Andrew will be examined by Giuffre's lawyer, David Boies. Speaking with the Daily Mail, Boies said that the interview will be "a little uncomfortable."
But, while he has no problem putting the needle to Andrew, he has no plans to involve the royal's wife or children in the examination. An exact date has not been set for the examination, but it is expected to occur "later this year," per Page Six.
David Boies is set to examine Prince Andrew over multiple days
David Boies, a highly acclaimed prosecutor who is representing several of Jeffrey Epstein's victims, told The Daily Telegraph that he is planning to fly to Britain to conduct a legal deposition, which he says will likely last "a day, or probably two."
But, despite how uncomfortable the interview may be, Boies is going to make it as civil as possible.
"I'm going to try to get him to understand that this is not going to be combative," he told the outlet. "Obviously, I'm going to ask him a lot of questions. And although some of the questions may be uncomfortable, I'm not going to be aggressive or in any way offensive to him. I'm going to be respectful."
This is likely not welcome news. Prince Andrew petitioned to have his case dismissed, but U.S. Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan denied the request, per Vanity Fair. This put Andrew on course for a potential trial as early as this fall, the outlet reported.
Boies spoke with NBC following the decision and shared his client's response. "Ms. Giuffre is, of course, pleased that Prince Andrew's motion to avoid a trial has been denied, and that the evidence will now be taken concerning her claims," he said. "She looks forward to a judicial determination of the merits of those claims."
Boies' examination of Andrew could lead to more insight on what comes next for the disgraced royal.
The royal family doesn't want Prince Andrew to appear before a jury
Senior royals are reportedly very unhappy with Prince Andrew's decision to fight his sex abuse case in court, particularly because it's likely to bring further shame to the notoriously private family, who have been in the tabloids more than ever recently.
Insiders told The Sun that various members of the monarchy would have rather he settled outside of court. Prince Charles and Prince William are reportedly among those putting pressure on Andrew to get everything sorted as quickly and cleanly as possible.
However, the lawyer of his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, described Andrew's decision not to testify in person as a "devastating tactical error." Insiders noted that the prince is hoping to appear in court virtually, via video link from his home in Windsor.
There are serious concerns that a lengthy deposition could cast Andrew in an even harsher light.
"After the car crash of Newsnight no-one thinks a seven-hour deposition is a good idea," one insider argued. "If he were to appear in court it could be many times worse and senior royals were deeply shocked when they heard that he was demanding a jury trial."
The infamous 2019 interview involved Andrew arguing that he'd never met Giuffre, among many other outlandish claims.
"The best outcome for everyone is that this is settled as soon as possible," the source said. "There are deep, deep worries that this will get worse and worse for the family."
Prince Andrew's former assistant may have to provide a statement
Things may get even tougher for Prince Andrew. The BBC reports that his former assistant could soon give a sworn statement as part of the ongoing abuse case against him.
Lawyers for accuser Virginia Giuffre have requested testimony from Robert Olney, a former equerry for the prince, leading to a formal appeal from the New York judge trying the case. According to Giuffre's legal team, Olney's name and contact details were in Jeffrey Epstein's address book.
They're arguing that he likely has pertinent knowledge of the disgraced financier's close relationship with Andrew. In particular, the former assistant would've been aware of the various trips to and from Epstein's properties where, Giuffre alleges, she was sexually assaulted by Andrew at the age of 17.
If the request is accepted, Olney will be questioned on every communication relating to Giuffre, which could challenge the prince's dubious claims that he's never met her. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan made the request to London's High Court, and it will now be up to them to decide whether they wish to get involved in Andrew's legal battle.
A second request was made to obtain information from Shukri Walker, who claims she saw Andrew at a London nightclub in 2001 with a young woman believed to be Giuffre. Two additional similar requests have been made to the Australian attorney general, including to Giuffre's husband, who could be required to share intimate details of their relationship.