Prince Andrew’s accuser Virginia Roberts vows to ‘destroy’ the Duke of York: Epstein ‘sex slave’ believes royal should be in JAIL but thinks ‘leaving him broke may be enough’ as bombshell abuse case continues
- Virginia Robers has vowed to ‘destroy’ him and leave him penniless, source said
- Source said she is determined to ‘ruin’ the Prince as she is angry at his behaviour
- It comes after the Duke of York, 61, was stripped of his Royal and military titles
- Ms Roberts claims she was forced to sleep with the Prince by Jeffrey Epstein
Prince Andrew’s accuser has vowed to ‘destroy’ him and leave him penniless.
Virginia Roberts ‘believes Andrew should go to jail but leaving him broke and destroyed may be enough,’ a source close to her legal team said last night.
The astonishing comments follow a devastating week that saw the Duke of York stripped of his Royal and military titles by the Queen after a New York judge ruled the civil sex abuse case against him will go ahead.
Virginia Roberts ‘believes Andrew (both pictured with Ghislaine Maxwell) should go to jail but leaving him broke and destroyed may be enough,’ a source close to her legal team said
During another day of fast-moving developments:
- A stony-faced Andrew was spotted leaving his Royal Lodge home in Windsor with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson;
- The Duke’s team filed legal papers demanding to speak to his accuser’s husband and her psychiatrist;
- Lawyers for Ms Roberts – whose married name is Giuffre – said they want to grill the Duke’s former equerry, a retired lieutenant colonel;
- A woman who claims she saw Andrew and Ms Roberts dancing at London nightclub Tramp will also be quizzed under oath about whether she saw him sweating.
Plaque that marked the opening of a Devon police station by the Duke of York has been removed following public complaint as Andrew becomes a ‘pariah Prince’
A plaque that marked the opening of a police station reception by the Duke of York has been removed following a complaint from a member of the public.
In a sign of how Andrew has become a ‘pariah Prince’, senior officers in Devon decided to take down the plaque which had been on the wall at Torquay police station since 2001.
Andrew has strong links to Devon, having trained at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth from 1979 to 1980.
He also attended the Dartmouth Regatta in 2019, just weeks after the death of his friend, the American paedophile tycoon Jeffrey Epstein.
But in comments that will add to his ignominy, Assistant Chief Constable Jim Nye, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: ‘Following a complaint we received from a member of the public, a decision was made to move the plaque from public display.
‘The recent removal of Prince Andrew’s military affiliations and Royal patronages were also taken into account when making this decision.’
A legal source close to Ms Roberts’s team yesterday said she is determined to ‘ruin’ the Prince because she is so angry at his ‘arrogant’ behaviour.
She claims that she was forced to sleep with the Prince on three occasions by US paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell – the first time when she was 17 and under the legal age of consent under New York law.
Andrew has always vehemently denied the accusations.
A source close to Ms Roberts said: ‘No one can believe how badly Andrew and his legal team have messed up. His arrogance is what has destroyed him.
‘It is Virginia’s firm belief that Andrew should go to jail for what he’s done but in the end leaving him broke and destroyed may be enough. He is already destroyed.
‘Now it’s a matter of how much money he offers [in a settlement] and how broke we leave him.’
Andrew has vowed to fight the case as a private citizen. On Friday night, his lawyers submitted formal demands to the New York court to interview under oath both Ms Roberts’s husband, Robert Giuffre, and her psychiatrist, Dr Judith Lightfoot in Australia.
Court documents filed by the Duke’s lawyer, Andrew Brettler, have argued that Ms Roberts ‘may suffer from false memories’ and accused her of making up claims against Andrew ‘to deflect from her own participation in Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme’.
Mr Brettler wants to grill Mr Giuffre about his wife’s ‘role in recruiting and trafficking underage girls for Epstein’ as well as her claims against Andrew. He also wants to forensically examine the couple’s financial records.
The Duke’s team want Dr Lightfoot to turn over all records about Ms Roberts’s mental health, records of prescription medication and notes about ‘plaintiff’s alleged emotional and psychological harm’ and ‘theory of false memories’.
In separate filings on Friday, Ms Roberts’s lawyers said they intend to question – or depose – the Duke’s former equerry Robert Olney, an ex-Army Air Corps officer who is Head of Safety and Business Delivery at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Ms Roberts (pictured with legal team) claims she was forced to sleep with the Prince on three occasions by US paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell
How the Queen’s children met to tackle ‘the Andrew problem’: Charles, Anne and Edward paved the way for Her Majesty to exile the Duke of York over his sex abuse lawsuit
By Kate Mansey Assistant Editor For The Mail On Sunday
A series of meetings involving Prince Andrew’s siblings paved the way for the Queen to exile him from official Royal duties.
Prince Charles canvassed the opinions of his sister Princess Anne and younger brother Prince Edward after calling them together to discuss ‘the Andrew problem’.
A source said: ‘The three siblings held several meetings, one of which included Prince Andrew.
‘They were all in agreement, which took the pressure off their mother, but it is the Queen, ultimately, who still has the power here.
‘Charles and Andrew are not particularly close, so it was important that any meetings were held with Anne and Edward present.
‘The Duke of Cambridge has been informed and agreed with his father and grandmother but his role has been somewhat overplayed in all this.’
Prince Edward has long been seen as a bridge between Charles and Andrew, but he has recently stopped horse-riding at Windsor Great Park where the Duke of York now takes daily rides.
While painful for the Queen, insiders said the decision to make Andrew an outcast was inevitable after his bid to dismiss sex claims in a US court failed.
Andrew continues to vehemently deny any wrongdoing.
Mr Olney was appointed as Andrew’s equerry in September 2002 – the year after Ms Roberts claims she was allegedly forced to have sex with the Duke – but his name appeared in Epstein’s infamous ‘little black book’ of contacts and he accompanied Andrew on trips around the globe before stepping down in 2004.
Ms Roberts’s lawyers plan to quiz him about Andrew’s travel to and from New York and ‘any of Epstein’s homes’.
The documents state that Mr Olney’s testimony should be obtained by April 29, either in person or by video conference.
Ms Roberts’s lawyers also want to talk to Shukri Walker, a Somali-born woman who lives in London who claims she saw Andrew and Ms Roberts dancing together at the famous Tramp nightclub.
Ms Roberts has claimed the Prince was ‘sweating all over me’ as they danced and alleges they had sex later that night when they returned to Maxwell’s home.
Andrew claims he cannot sweat because of an injury suffered in the Falklands War.
The civil lawsuit is set to be financially ruinous for Andrew. His legal bills are said to have reached £2 million and there are reports he may offer to settle the case before it reaches court for up to £10 million.
He could receive some money from the sale of a ski chalet he bought in Verbier, Switzerland, five years ago. It is understood that a sum close to its £17.6 million asking price has been agreed.
The Mail on Sunday also understands that Andrew could face a heavier tax bill for his home Royal Lodge after losing the use of his HRH title as he would no longer qualify for tax relief.
The source close to Ms Roberts’s legal team said: ‘If there is a settlement it will have to be a big, big number. Prince Andrew was offered the chance to open negotiations before the civil suit was filed but his lawyers ignored all our letters in the hope it would go away.
‘Virginia wants her day in court but, of course, any case can be settled for a variety of reasons. Andrew has ruined himself through his arrogance.’
The Duke is expected to be deposed for up to seven hours by lawyer David Boies in London in February.
Last night, he said: ‘I look forward to being able to question Prince Andrew under oath.’
Andrew’s camp had feared that both the Duchess of York and Princess Beatrice could be deposed, but sources now suggest that this was unlikely.
War hero who served in Northern Ireland is tipped to replace Prince Andrew and lead Trooping the Colour in this year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations
By Charlotte Griffiths for the Mail On Sunday
A former Colonel of the Grenadier Guards may come out of retirement to replace Prince Andrew and lead Trooping the Colour as a key part of this year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The Mail on Sunday understands that Lieutenant General Sir George Norton is favourite to replace the Duke of York who was last week stripped of all his military titles.
‘The planning is that George Norton will come in for the short term,’ said a military source.
‘With limited time before the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend, which begins with Trooping the Colour on June 2, the role requires someone of stature and experience.’
Lieutenant General Sir George Norton (pictured) is understood to be favourite to replace the Duke of York, who was last week stripped of all his military titles, to lead Trooping the Colour
In a long and distinguished career, Sir George, 59, served four times in Northern Ireland and was awarded the MBE for operational service in Bosnia.
He subsequently became Commanding Officer of the prestigious Grenadiers before serving three times in Afghanistan, receiving the US Meritorious Honor Award and a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service.
But it is his familiarity with Trooping the Colour and ceremonial procedure which are now highly prized.
Appointed Major General Commanding the Household Division in 2011, he had a key role in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee the following year.
Sir George retired from the Army in 2019 to become Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies.
Now he could take centre stage at the Jubilee, alongside the Prince of Wales, Colonel of the Welsh Guards; Prince William, Colonel of the Irish Guards; Princess Anne, Colonel of the Blues and Royals; and the Duke of Kent, Colonel of the Scots Guards.
Sir George’s role is likely to last only for the Jubilee.
‘At some point in the not-too distant future, another Royal will be appointed Colonel of the Grenadiers and is likely to be either the Duchess of Cambridge or Prince Edward or his wife, Sophie,’ the source said.
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