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Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Fergie were today seen together for the first time since he lost his military titles as they drove away from their Windsor home amid the ongoing sexual assault civil case.
The Duke of York’s legal team on Saturday revealed it wants to question his accuser Virginia Giuffre’s husband Robert and her psychologist Dr Judith Lightfoot.
Prince Andrew was today photographed with his former wife Fergie in the passenger seat as he was said to be fearful of ‘complete financial ruin’ as the costs of the case start mounting up.
The couple were in a two-car convoy, indicating the Duke is still receiving royal protection. Last week security minister Damian Hinds would not be drawn on whether taxpayers would still foot the bill to protect Andrew.
Andrew’s lawyers’ fees are currently at least £2million and legal experts believe he may have to pay £10million to his accuser Ms Giuffre to stop the case coming to court.
The disgraced duke was stripped of his military titles and remaining royal patronages following a 30-minute audience with the Queen on Thursday.
Both Mr Giuffre and Dr Lightfoot are residents of Australia and would be requested to be examined under oath, either in person or by video-link.
In recently published documents, lawyers for the Queen’s son argue that Ms Giuffre ‘may suffer from false memories’, and state that Dr Lightfoot should be examined on ‘theory of false memories’ among other topics including matters discussed during their sessions and any prescriptions she wrote for Andrew’s accuser.
They also wish to be allowed to inspect documents including the doctor’s notes from all sessions with Ms Giuffre.
Andrew (pictured on Saturday with Sarah Ferguson), who denies the allegation, has complained to friends about the financial impact of the case, adding that he fears being left insolvent
The Duke and Fergie were in a two-car convoy, indicating he is still receiving a level of protection despite the stripping of his royal patronages and military roles this week.
Witness accounts are being sought from Virginia Giuffre’s partner Robert Giuffre and Dr Judith Lightfoot, according to court documents. Pictured, the Duke of York with his former wife driving from his residence in the grounds of Windsor Great Park in Berkshire on Saturday.
Ms Giuffre is pictured with her husband Robert Giuffre in Queensland, Australia (left). Lawyers for Prince Andrew (right, with the Queen) wish to be allowed to inspect documents including the doctor’s notes from all sessions with Ms Giuffre
Lawyers want Mr Giuffre to be questioned on a range of areas including the circumstances under which he met his now wife around 2002 and the Giuffre household finances.
Lawyers want testimony to be obtained from the witnesses by April 29 this year ‘or as soon thereafter as is possible’.
The trial is scheduled to take place between September and December.
Andrew’s lawyers have requested that the US court issues letters to the Central Authority of Australia for their assistance in obtaining the testimony.
The requests from the duke’s lawyers follow similar requests from Ms Giuffre’s legal representatives.
Her team is seeking witness accounts from Andrew’s former equerry Robert Olney and a woman called Shukri Walker, who claims to have seen the royal in Tramp nightclub.
Documents submitted by Ms Giuffre’s legal team say that Mr Olney’s name appears in Jeffrey Epstein’s phone book under ‘Duke of York’.
They say this means it is likely Mr Olney has relevant information about Andrew’s travel to and from Epstein’s properties during the relevant period.
The documents say Ms Walker has stated publicly in the press that she was a witness to Andrew’s presence at Tramp during the relevant time period with a young woman who may have been Ms Giuffre.
It is understood the Queen will ‘not assist’ her son in paying a settlement because of the damage it could do to the crown’s reputation. Pictured, Prince Andrew with Virginia Giuffre in London in 2001
Ms Giuffre is suing the duke in the US for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager and claims she was trafficked by Andrew’s friend, convicted sex offender Epstein, to have sex with the duke when she was 17 and a minor under US law.
The duke has strenuously denied the allegations.
Ms Giuffre claims Andrew had sex with her against her will at Maxwell’s London home and at Epstein’s mansion on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
The duke is also alleged to have abused Ms Giuffre on another occasion during a visit to Epstein’s private island, Little St James, and on a separate occasion at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion.
Today Andrew is in talks with his lawyers in the UK and US as Ms Giuffre’s team respond to a 6pm deadline regarding her living arrangements, according to The Mirror.
It is believed Andrew’s team are arguing the case cannot be held in a US federal court because Ms Giuffre, 38, has lived in Australia since 2002.
Ms Giuffre has claimed Andrew had sex with her on three occasions when she was just 17.
Andrew, who denies the allegation, has complained to friends about the financial impact of the case, adding that he fears being left insolvent.
A royal source said: ‘Until very recently it appears the absolute enormity of this case and the consequences he faces has not hit him (Andrew).
‘Now the bills are mounting up and the possibility of a settlement, or even worse a judgement against him, is being widely discussed; he fears complete financial ruin.
‘There is a very real prospect of him being completely broke.’
A spokesman for the Duke of York would not comment when approached by MailOnline.
It is understood the Queen will ‘not assist’ her son in paying a settlement because of the damage it could do to the crown’s reputation.
After the Queen banished him from royal life, Andrew was left to fight the allegations as a ‘private citizen’.
One source said senior royals have said Andrew has ‘run out of road’ following a New York judge’s decision to throw out the Duke’s latest effort to stop a full civil trial.
Prince Andrew has now been rushing to sell a £17million Swiss chalet amid rising debts. He still owes a £6million payment to a French socialite he bought the alpine mansion from in 2014.
Sources close to the Duke said he would ‘continue to fight to clear his name’.
Meanwhile, it was revealed Andrew was given just two hours notice on Thursday to attend a face-to-face meeting with the Queen at midday – with the duke ‘fully aware what was coming’.
It has also been confirmed Andrew will not lose his security detail, following speculation over how he would afford to fund the £300,000-a-year team.
It has been suggested the Queen would privately meet the cost if necessary.
Princess Beatrice will NOT be called as key witness in Prince Andrew civil sex case as lawyers for royal’s accuser Virginia Giuffre seek testimony from his ex-assistant and woman who claims she saw him in Tramp nightclub
By Emer Scully for MailOnline
Princess Beatrice has been spared from testifying in her father’s sexual assault civil case against his accuser Virginia Giuffre.
The mother-of-one, 33, was previously expected to be called as a key witness after Prince Andrew claimed he was with her at a Pizza Express party in Woking at the time he is accused of rape in 2001.
The Duke of York’s accuser Ms Giuffre will, however, be seeking witness accounts from his former assistant and a woman who claims to have seen the royal in Tramp nightclub.
Ms Giuffre’s laywers have requested testimony from Andrew’s former equerry Robert Olney and a woman called Shukri Walker.
Documents submitted by Ms Giuffre’s legal team say that Mr Olney’s name appears in Jeffrey Epstein’s phone book under ‘Duke of York’. They say this means it is likely Mr Olney has relevant information about Andrew’s travel to and from Epstein’s properties during the relevant period.
The documents say Ms Walker has stated publicly in the press that she was a witness to Andrew’s presence at Tramp during the relevant time period with a young woman who may have been Ms Giuffre.
Virginia Giuffre (pictured) is asking the UK courts to help with obtaining testimony after her lawsuit against Andrew took a major step forward this week when a judge threw out a motion by the duke’s lawyers to dismiss the case and ruled it can go to trial
Beatrice was seen in London this week two-and-a-half hours before Buckingham Palace issued the statement revealing Andrew had been stripped of his military titles
The documents say: ‘Ms Walker has therefore stated herself that she is a potential witness, and would thus be relevant to this dispute because plaintiff contends that defendant abused her in London after visiting Tramp together, while defendant denies being at Tramp on the night in question or having ever met Plaintiff.’
Ms Giuffre is asking the UK courts to help with obtaining testimony after her lawsuit against Andrew took a major step forward this week when a judge threw out a motion by the duke’s lawyers to dismiss the case and ruled it can go to trial.
The next stage of the sexual assault case brought by Miss Roberts is for both sides to formally interview witnesses, done outside of a courtroom setting but with a court recorder sitting in.
Known as depositions, the hearings allow lawyers to ask any question, no matter how personal.
David Boies, Ms Giuffre’s lawyer who has been nicknamed the ‘great inquisitor’ because of his skill at interviewing witnesses under oath, has already suggested he might question Sarah Ferguson and their daughters, Princesses Beatrice (pictured) and Eugenie
David Boies, Ms Giuffre’s lawyer who has been nicknamed the ‘great inquisitor’ because of his skill at interviewing witnesses under oath, had previously suggested he might question Sarah Ferguson and their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Andrew gave Beatrice as his alibi – saying they were at Pizza Express in Woking – for the date in 2001 when he is alleged to have forced Miss Roberts to have sex.
Each side in the case is expected to name – as early as this weekend – about a dozen witnesses they want to interview. Both lists could include current or former royal staff, footmen and secretaries, if the lawyers think they might have testimony helpful to their client.
The fallout from Andrew’s civil sex case continued on Saturday as he faced calls to pay for his own security and lose his dukedom.
Criticism of Andrew is mounting after the Queen stripped him of his remaining patronages and honorary military roles as the monarchy distanced itself from the duke ahead of potentially damaging developments in his lawsuit.
The Prince of Wales did not respond when questioned about the sex scandal which has engulfed his brother, during a visit to the north east of Scotland to meet people who helped in the clear-up operation after Storm Arwen.
The fallout from Andrew’s civil sex case continued on Friday as he faced calls to pay for his own security and lose his dukedom. Pictured, with his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie in 2016
Charles was involved in the royal family discussions with the Queen and Duke of Cambridge that resulted in Andrew losing his military roles, patronages and dropping his HRH style.
But when he arrived at Haddo House and Country Park, the heir to the throne did not comment when a broadcaster from Sky said: ‘Your Royal Highness, can I ask you your view on your brother’s position, Prince Andrew? How do you view it?’
Ms Virginia, reacting publicly to this week’s court ruling enabling her civil sex case against Andrew to proceed to trial, tweeted she has the opportunity to ‘expose the truth’, adding: ‘My goal has always been to show that the rich and powerful are not above the law & must be held accountable.’
She is suing the duke in the US for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager and claims she was trafficked by Andrew’s friend, convicted sex offender Epstein, to have sex with the duke when she was 17 and a minor under US law.
The duke has strenuously denied the allegations.
Ms Giuffre claims Andrew had sex with her against her will at Maxwell’s London home and at Epstein’s mansion on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
The duke is also alleged to have abused Ms Giuffre on another occasion during a visit to Epstein’s private island, Little St James, and on a separate occasion at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion.
A spokesperson for Andrew declined to comment on the newly released legal documents.
A source close to the duke has said: ‘This is a marathon not a sprint and the duke will continue to defend himself against these claims.’
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