Prince Andrew may be quizzed 'on private parts' during trial; Queen is also not off-limits

Prince Andrew has been warned that no topics and no person would be off-limits when he goes on trial in the case filed against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who alleged he had sex with her three times when she was a minor and was being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein.

According to a report in The Mirror, Prince Andrew faces being deposed in court, during which he could be asked intimate questions under oath about his marriage, sex life, and body. Spencer Kuvin, a lawyer of Jeffrey Epstein's victims, said that the royal's family members could also be deposed in the case, and even his mother Queen Elizabeth II is not off-limits.

Kuvin said that Andrew exposed his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and their daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to a deposition when he mentioned their names in his interview in 2019, which also led to his exit from his duties as a senior royal. The lawyer explained, "Andrew's disastrous BBC Newsnight interview will haunt him. He mentioned his wife as well as his daughters. They can now all legally be deposed. The lawyers could even try for the Queen. I don't doubt they will, but as a sovereign, it will be almost impossible to do."

Andrew's legal team is reportedly trying to find other ways to dismiss the lawsuit, and is even considering an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre to keep him out of court. However, if they don't find any grounds to dismiss the case, Andrew could face a trial date between September and December this year.

After Judge Lewis Kaplan's recent order that the case will be going to trial, Andrew and Giuffre's lawyers will start the "discovery" phase, during which they will exchange information about the witnesses and evidence they would present at trial. This would contain depositions, out-of-court statements given under oath in the form of written transcripts, video­tapes, or both. Kuvin said Andrew will have to answer the most personal of questions during his deposition.

He added, "It is without question the Duke will be asked about his private parts. Nothing is off limits because if an underage girl can describe what the Duke of York's private parts look like... how would that be if they had not had a relationship?"

Kuvin noted that Andrew, who will be quizzed "under oath, under penalty of perjury of US law," will also be asked questions about his friendship with sex offenders Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Though some reports claim Andrew's lawyers are considering an out-of-court settlement, a source close to the Duke of York said it is "not an option being considered at the moment" as he is determined to fight "to clear his name."