Queen strips Prince Andrew of military titles after sex assault case sent to trial
Prince Andrew’s legal team have called into question Virginia Giuffre’s credibility in the sex abuse lawsuit against the duke, saying she may be relying on ‘false memories’.
Ms Giuffre, now 39, is suing the royal for allegedly sexually assaulting her in the early 2000s, when she was a teenager. She claims she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with Andrew when she was 17. The duke has vehemently denied the allegations.
The lawyers argue in new court documents that Ms Giuffre “may suffer from false memories”, and claim that her psychologist should be examined on the “theory of false memories” as well as other topics the pair have discussed during their sessions.
Meanwhile, Ms Giuffre is seeking witness accounts from a woman who claims to have seen the royal in Tramp nightclub.
Documents submitted by the accuser’s legal team say Shukri Walker has stated publicly in the press that she was a witness to Andrew’s presence at Tramp during the relevant time period with a young woman who may have been Ms Giuffre.
Prince Andrew has been stripped of his titles. What next for the Queen’s favourite son?
One thing is clear – this is an unprecedented moment for Britain’s royal family, writes Andrew Buncombe.
Emily Atkinson15 January 2022 20:29
Prince Andrew’s lawyers say accuser Virginia Giuffre ‘may suffer from false memories’
Prince Andrew’s lawyers say they want to quiz Virginia Giuffre’s psychologist as they call into question her credibility in the sex abuse lawsuit against the royal.
The Duke of York’s legal team is alleging that Ms Giuffre, who is seeking damages in the US, could be relying on “false memories” to accuse him of sexual abuse when she was a minor under US law in the early 2000s.
My colleague, Lamiat Sabin, has the story:
Emily Atkinson15 January 2022 19:42
When could the Prince Andrew trial begin?
According to the reports, Judge Lewis Kaplan wants all depositions to be completed by July with an aim for the case to be ready for trial by 28 July, although he does not expect it to start until September.
It is not yet clear if the royal will have to travel to the United States or be required to give evidence another way, such as over video.
Our reporter, Thomas Kingsley, has more here.
(Getty Images)
Thomas Kingsley15 January 2022 15:06
Andrew’s accuser seeking witness testimony from duke’s former assistant
Virginia Giuffre’s legal team are now seeking to speak to Prince Andrew’s former assistant Robert Olney.
Documents submitted by Ms Giuffre’s legal team say that Mr Olney’s name appears in Jeffrey Epstein’s phone book under “Duke of York”.
They say this means it is likely Mr Olney has relevant information about Andrew’s travel to and from Epstein’s properties during the relevant period.
Read the full story below:
Thomas Kingsley15 January 2022 14:27
Denise Welch describes ‘personal beef’ with Prince Andrew over alleged Princess Diana comments
Denise Welch has admitted to having “personal beef” with Prince Andrew over disparaging remarks he allegedly made about Princess Diana.
Discussing the news of Prince Andrew’s losing his military titles on Loose Women on Friday (14 January), Welch admitted that she had “personal beef” with the royal over comments he allegedly made about the Princess of Wales when they met.
“I’ve met him on a few occasions. He really, really upset me once in the way he spoke about his late sister-in-law Diana with such disdain, in front of a group of people such as me, who he didn’t know from a bar of soap,” she said.
Read the full story below:
Thomas Kingsley15 January 2022 13:41
ICYMI: Palace faces calls to strip Prince Andrew of dukedom after loss of military titles
The city of York no longer wants connection with royal as assault case progresses.
Buckingham Palace is facing calls to strip Prince Andrew of his dukedom over the sexual assualt allegations against him.
His public position came under further scrutiny after the Queen removed his military titles and royal patronages on Thursday.
Prince Charles was reportedly instrumental in the decision to strip Andrew of his roles, which was made ahead of developments in his lawsuit that threatened to damage the monarchy.
Our reporter, Liam James, has the full story below:
Thomas Kingsley15 January 2022 13:00
Is Prince Andrew still in line to the throne?
The Duke of York has dropped his HRH style, which means he will no longer be able to use it in any official capacity.
The development will also see Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II’s third child, stripped of his military titles and royal patronages.
But what does that mean for the line to throne and Prince Andrew’s place in it.
Our reporter, Kate Ng, has the full story below:
Thomas Kingsley15 January 2022 12:15
Prince Andrew fears financial ruin amid sex case
Elsewhere its been reported that Prince Andrew now fears “financial ruin” as it now looks increasingly likely that the sexual assault case against him will go trial.
The Daily Mirror reported that Andrew was locked in talks with his teams of lawyers in the UK and US on Friday as they waited for Ms Giuffre’s team to respond to a 6pm deadline about her living arrangements.
He faces mounting legal bills as well as a possible £10 million settlement with his accuser Virginia Giuffre, however her legal team insist she is not interested in financial recompense, while Ms Giuffre said, following Judge Kaplan’s ruling, that she wants the truth to be exposed.
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Thomas Kingsley15 January 2022 11:41
Queen won’t risk bailing out Prince Andrew, say royal experts
The Queen will not bail out the Duke of York to help to fund a financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre, according to royal experts.
The Times reported Ingrid Seward, the royal biographer, believes that providing him with money would be too damaging to the Queen’s reputation and that she would rather leave him to face the allegations in court.
The Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee this summer in a time where Princess Beatrice and Sarah Ferguson could face questioning in the case.
David McClure, who has written books about royal finances, believes the prince would not have enough money to cover a settlement himself. He said that the recent sale by the duke of a chalet in Verbier, the Swiss ski resort, has revealed him to be “extremely cash poor”.
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Thomas Kingsley15 January 2022 10:29
ICYMI: Virginia Giuffre’s reaction to Prince Andrew case going forward
Virginia Giuffre said she was pleased that she will “have the chance to continue to expose the truth” in her first reaction following Judge Lewis Kaplan’s ruling on the Prince Andrew case.
She thanked her incredible legal team and said her goal to ensure the rich and powerful are held to account.
“I do not walk this path alone, but alongside countless other survivors of sexual abuse & trafficking,” Ms Giuffre said.
Thomas Kingsley15 January 2022 09:40
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