Prince Andrew goes for drive at Balmoral as he remains in hiding five days after granddaughter's birth

Prince Andrew has put himself into some kind of a house arrest at his mother Queen Elizabeth II's Balmoral estate, so much so that he has not left even to meet his newborn granddaughter. However, the 50,000 acre estate allows him plenty of space and amenities to roam around, entertain, and enjoy his life.

The Duke of York looked pensive as he went for a drive alone in his Range Rover on Thursday, his 17th day in hiding at the Scottish estate to avoid US lawyers who were trying to serve him papers in the sex abuse lawsuit against him. The royal's legal team, headed by Andrew B. Brettler in the US, had based their defense solely on the grounds that Andrew has not been properly served papers. This was largely because the royal purposely stayed at Balmoral to use legal immunity provided to the residence where the British monarch is staying.

His lawyers finally accepted the papers on Tuesday, days after a London court ruled they should receive documents on royal's behalf, reports Mail Online.

Andrew was expected to leave the estate and drive to London when his eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, welcomed her first child with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on Saturday. However, he remained in Balmoral while his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who was staying with him, travelled to meet their daughter and the baby, their second granddaughter.

The 61-year-old has not left to see Beatrice and her baby even after his lawyers have accepted the papers. From when he received them, he has 21 days to respond to Virginia Giuffre's accusations of both sexual assault and battery allegedly committed by Andrew when she was just 17 after she was trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Giuffre's attorney David Boies told Mail Online that Andrew's lawyers are expected to apply for a "reasonable" extension to respond to the complaint after finally accepting the papers- and said they would likely agree to the request.

Andrew, who had to quit royal duties in 2019 over his association with Epstein, has vehemently denied Giuffre's allegations, and insists he has no recollection of meeting her.