Prince Andrew 'cancels' Christmas plans for legal team as court trial nears

Prince Andrew is said to be consumed by preparations for his upcoming court trial on Jan 4, 2022 against his alleged rape victim, Virginia Roberts Giuffre. He has reportedly told his legal team to focus on his case even during Christmas.

The Duke of York is believed to be "incredibly stressed" as his hearing looms near. The royal is accused of "rape in the first degree" and of sexual abuse by Giuffre in a New York court. He has vehemently denied the allegations and of having ever known the complainant.

The hearing will still push through next year and sources claimed Prince Andrew is "totally consumed" by it. He has been staying up late in the night to talk to his legal team in California.

"The tension in the camp is palpable. No one is really sure what Andrew's involvement is other than asking a lot of questions, but he spends his days and nights poring over documents," a source told The Mirror.

"He is totally consumed by it, keeping most irregular working hours so he can be in contact with his team. He was particularly stressed a few days ago and was heard remonstrating with one of the team," the insider added.

The source claimed the feeling was that Prince Andrew was telling his legal team "to effectively cancel Christmas and get totally across all the eventualities of what could happen in the case so there are, as he put it, 'no more surprises.'" The Duke of York is said to be doing a "last-ditch attempt to get the case thrown out." He knows that if this does not happen then "they are all potentially in it for the long haul."

The royal has been keeping a low profile amid his legal battle with Giuffre. He has rarely been seen in public as his legal team prepares to fight the plaintiff in court. The royal is adamant that he is innocent.

Giuffre has accused Prince Andrew of sexual abuse and rape when she was still a minor. She alleged that he forced her to have sex with him three times in 2001 while she was used as a sex slave by the late paedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.