Prince Andrew has had "little or no discussion" with either Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, or Prince William about his plans to defend himself over the sex abuse allegations brought by Virginia Giuffre, The Mirror has reported.
The senior royals have reportedly been "left in the dark" about his court strategy even though it is the Queen who pays his legal fees. According to the inside sources cited by The Mirror, the Duke of York appears to be "less than forthcoming" over the matter.
"Everyone from the very top has been left in the dark", one of the sources told the outlet. "The fact there has been little or no discussion with senior members of the family is just mind-boggling".
Neither Buckingham Palace nor Prince Andrew's team have offered their comments regarding the report.
The Duke of York's secrecy comes in light of earlier reports that he asked his American legal team to forgo Christmas celebrations in order to "leave no stone unturned" as they forge a way to fend off the allegations by Giuffre. One of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's alleged victims, she has accused Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was underage.
The embattled royal has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. With his California legal team set to deliver their final submissions to a court in New York on 13 December, it has been reported that the Prince Andrew's legal fees might hit the millions - a sum to be paid by his mother, the Queen.
As Andrew prepares for the civil lawsuit, another trial is already underway in New York, with Epstein's reported madam, Ghislaine Maxwell, battling allegations of her procuring minors for the late financier.