Yahoo News Prince Andrew goes to stay with Queen at private estate following sexual abuse lawsuit
Prince Andrew is now staying with the Queen after being accused of sexual abuse in a lawsuit.
On Tuesday evening, 24 hours after the civil suit was filed, the scandal-hit Duke of York was pictured arriving at Balmoral, the royal family’s private estate in Scotland, driving a Range Rover.
He was accompanied by his ex-wife Sarah, the Duchess of York, who was sat in the back seat, and a minder who was sat in the front passenger seat.
The Daily Mail reported Prince Andrew’s dog had arrived at the estate one hour earlier in a separate car.
Watch: Virginia Giuffre’s lawyer on Prince Andrew lawsuit
Virginia Giuffre is suing the duke for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was under 18, two decades ago.
She claimed she was trafficked by Prince Andrew’s former friend – and convicted sex offender – Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with him when she was aged 17.
It is alleged Giuffre, then known as Virginia Roberts, was sexually abused by Prince Andrew at Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell’s home in London, Epstein’s New York mansion and other locations including Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands.
The Queen’s second son is named as the only defendant in the 15-page suit, with Epstein and Maxwell mentioned frequently throughout.
Prince Andrew has previously “categorically” denied he abused Giuffre. His spokeswoman refused to comment on the lawsuit on Tuesday.
It was launched after Giuffre’s lawyers accused the duke of “stonewalling” appeals for information.
It has been filed at a federal court in New York, and David Boies, who represents Giuffre, said: “It would be very ill-advised for anyone to sort of thumb their nose at a federal court.”
Legal experts, though, have said Prince Andrew will not be compelled to attend or give evidence in the civil proceedings in New York.
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Even if this is the case, the legal action remains a massive further blow to his reputation, nearly two years after his infamous BBC Newsnight interview in which he denied a series of accusations about Giuffre.
Following uproar at the interview, he was ultimately forced him to step back from royal duties.
Watch: Prince Andrew’s legal team ‘stonewalling’ lawyers of his accuser
