The High Court of London agreed to formally notify Prince Andrew about Virginia Giuffre's claim against him after a pre-trial hearing on the case kicked off in the US on Monday. This means that he may be obliged to testify under oath and address the sexual assault accusations.
According to the procedure, the claimant has to formally present papers to the other side to notify them they are being sued - which is known as a "service of proceedings".
The duke's attorney, Andrew Brettler, stated that the Giuffre lawyer had entered into a "settlement agreement" that would nullify the case. He also contested "the validity of service to date", stressing that his client has not been properly served.
Prince Andrew, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell. This photo was included in an affidavit in which Giuffre alleged that she was directed to have sex with Andrew
© Photo : Florida Southern District Court
At the same time, Giuffre's representative David Boies stated that the complaint had been "delivered to the last known address of the defendant" via the Royal Mail.
Initially, the judges rejected the first request of the Giuffre's legal team to contact the Duke of York.
Virginia Giuffre, who said she had been trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, sued the prince, claiming that she was forced to have sex with the duke three times - when she was only 17 years old.
Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied all the allegations and has not addressed the civil suit so far.