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The Queen‘s platinum jubilee is set to be dogged by her son Andrew’s court drama, it emerged last night.
Documents lodged in the US show the civil case of rape and sexual assault being brought against him by a Jeffrey Epstein victim is to go ahead as quickly as possible.
Judge Lewis Kaplan has ruled, with the agreement of both parties, that all disclosures and depositions should be completed before July next year.
This means that key moments in the case will be heard in the run-up to the official national celebrations to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.
Documents show the civil case of rape and sexual assault being brought against Prince Andrew (pictured) by a Jeffrey Epstein victim is to go ahead as quickly as possible
This means that key moments in the case will be heard in the run-up to the official national celebrations to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne
Prince Andrew and Virginia Roberts, pictured together in 2001
The commemorations will last throughout the year and will see senior royals – except Andrew – travel around the country and overseas.
Judge Kaplan intends to draw a line under any amendments to the New York proceedings by December 15.
All disclosures relating to expert witnesses should be made by June 13 with the disclosure process complete a month later.
One US legal expert described the scheduling order as ‘brisk’.
Andrew, who was a close friend of financier and convicted paedophile Epstein, has always denied Virginia Giuffre’s claims that she was trafficked by her abuser to have sex with him on three occasions when she was 17.
Although the prince and his legal team were shocked when she suddenly lodged a civil claim against him in April, they now intend to use it to try to prove his innocence once and for all. He has not been charged with any crime.
They have until this Friday to respond to the claims in her lawsuit, with a further hearing at a court in Manhattan due to be held next week.
Earlier this month the Metropolitan Police said it was taking no action over Ms Giuffre’s claims.
The case has proved ruinous for the duke’s image.
In a Newsnight interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis in November 2019, Andrew denied claims that he slept with Ms Giuffre on three separate occasions and said: ‘I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened.
‘I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.’
The duke also said he has no memory of a well-known photograph of him with his arm around Ms Giuffre’s waist and has questioned whether it was his own hand in the image.
The fallout from the interview saw the royal criticised for showing a lack of empathy towards Epstein’s victims and a lack of remorse over his friendship with disgraced financier.
Epstein killed himself while in custody.
The Queen is missing out on her daily ‘tonic’: Monarch has been forced to give up walking her dogs each day as she continues to recover from hospital stay
by REBECCA ENGLISH, Royal Editor, for the Daily Mail
The Queen has not been able to enjoy her daily walk with her dogs for almost a week after being told to rest by doctors.
Sources say the monarch has been taking their orders to rest seriously after she was kept in hospital overnight on Wednesday for ‘preliminary investigations’.
The Queen, 95, has two corgi puppies and dorgi Candy, a cross between a corgi and a dachshund.
The Queen (pictured on April 2, 1994), 95, has not been able to walk her two corgi puppies and dorgi Candy for almost a week after she was ordered by doctors to rest
Sources say the monarch (pictured) has been taking their orders to rest seriously after she was kept in hospital overnight on Wednesday for ‘preliminary investigations’
One of the highlights of her day is being driven to walk them near Frogmore on her Windsor estate, where Harry and Meghan once lived.
Family and friends believe these daily excursions are a ‘tonic’ and have helped keep the Queen so healthy in her nineties.
But instead the dogs have been walked by staff since her hospital stay.
Buckingham Palace said yesterday that the Queen was still in good spirits and undertaking some ‘light duties’ while resting.
It is still hoped she will be able to lead the Royal Family at the Cop26 UN climate change summit in Glasgow next week, either in person or via video link.
A final decision will be made towards the end of this week.
Source: Daily Mail
