Prince Andrew could have assets seized from his £30million home by bailiffs if he loses his sex case trial, one lawyer has claimed.
Virginia Giuffre, now 38, claims she was trafficked by billionaire Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to have sex with the Duke of York in London in 2001 when she was 17.
She also alleges that she was forced to have sex with the 62 year old at Epstein’s home in New York and the US Virgin Islands.
She is now suing Andrew for unspecified damages, which US lawyers say could be in excess of £14 million if she is successful.
The sum could be paid for by assets being seized from Andrew’s home, it has been reported.
"There is a method and procedure for seizing assets, even overseas assets, in the event there is an award of damages and the defendant tries to avoid paying," lawyer Arick Fudali told The Sun.
“This could include seizing bank accounts, physical property, etc.
“Assuming for the sake of this question that there is an award of damages against Prince Andrew, he would be able to avoid the seizure of assets by posting a bond pending the inevitable appeal.
“Assuming the appeal goes in favour of Ms. Giuffre, Prince Andrew would either have to pay the amount owed, settle the matter for another amount, or risk his assets being seized.”
Andrew has continually denied all the allegations.
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The Duke currently lives at Royal Lodge in Windsor, however is also currently thought to be selling a ski chalet he owns in the Swiss Alps for a reported £17 million.
The Duke of York's legal counsel, Andrew Brettler, gave a detailed rebuttal of all of Virginia's claims in the papers filed in New York on Wednesday 26 January.
Andrew's new legal files also request the Royal be granted a trial by jury, too.
In the papers it states he "hereby demands a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted in the complaint".
Andrew is set to respond to each of the points raised in Virginia's initial law suit, five months after she lodged a civil complaint against him in New York.
A royal expert recently told OK! the Queen is in "despair" over the recent Andrew claims and the actions of her children and grandchildren, after Andrewrecently cried as the Queen stripped him of his HRH and military titles,
Speaking exclusively to OK!, Jennie Bond explained: "I think The Queen will be holding her hands up in despair with her children and some of her grandchildren."
Jennie added that there should be some "equity" after Prince Harry's military titles were stripped when he stepped back as a senior royal in 2020.
She said: "Everybody feels for the Queen now with the Andrew debacle, but I think there has to be some equity between Harry and Andrew now. There was the argument and it probably wasn't correct, but if Harry has been stripped of his titles then Andrew should have been some time ago."
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