A New York judge has denied a bid by England’s Prince Andrew to have a lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Giuffre thrown out.
Giuffre, who is from Palm Beach County, claims she was trafficked to Prince Andrew by Palm Beach financier Jeffrey Epstein when she was underage and says the royal knew she was a minor at the time.
Prince Andrew’s lawyers tried to convince Judge Lewis Kaplan that a 2009 settlement between Giuffre and Epstein, in which he admitted no liability, also covered their client.
Kaplan disagreed and allowed the lawsuit against Prince Andrew to move forward.
Judge Kaplan has set a deadline for out-of-court depositions under oath to be completed by 14 July.
Depositions can be conducted in foreign countries under US law using internationally agreed procedures, so Andrew could remain in the UK for this phase of the trial.
He would also get to stay put if the case were settled out of court before the trial took place.
If the trial goes ahead, it is not clear whether Andrew would have to travel to the US testify in person, appear via a video link, or decline to participate.
He could appeal Kaplan’s ruling and also ask the US Supreme Court to hear the case.
Virginia Giuffre claims she was groomed by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell who faces possible life behind bars for recruiting underage girls for him.
Epstein died in a New York jail under suspicious circumstances in 2019.