Prince Andrew's Lawsuit 'Has Wider Reputational Implications For The Monarchy,' Source Claims
Prince Andrew has yet to break his silence after Virginia Roberts sued the royal for allegedly raping her when she was 17 years old.
Now, royal aides are supposedly nervous about Andrew's "wall of silence" and are fearful of what he may be hiding.
“There is growing disquiet over this lawsuit which also has wider reputational implications for the monarchy," a royal source said, per The Sun.
Recently, Andrew has been hiding out at Balmoral to avoid being in the spotlight. Last week, Andrew Brettler told the federal court in New York that it was a "non-viable and potentially unlawful" case. He also defended the royal, saying that he never got served papers.
However, Roberts showed a photo of the envelopes being mailed to his Royal Lodge home. “We are hopeful that Prince Andrew will now stop trying to evade and delay facing his accuser in court," Roberts' lawyer, David Boies, said. “The bottom line is Andrew is being served. He cannot refuse.”
In the documents, which were obtained by The Royal Observer, Roberts claims that the royal "sexually abused Plaintiff in [Jeffrey] Epstein’s New York mansion in this District."
"On another occasion, Prince Andrew sexually abused Plaintiff on Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Little St. James," the documents state. "During each of the aforementioned incidents, Plaintiff was compelled by express or implied threats by Epstein, [Ghislaine] Maxwell, and/or Prince Andrew to engage in sexual acts with Prince Andrew, and feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions for disobeying Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew due to their powerful connections, wealth, and authority."
Andrew has denied any wrongdoing and isn't sure what will happen next.
“He’s not been his usual blasé self, acting like everything is in hand," a source told The Mirror. “The issue has suddenly become very pressing and there is a distinct tension in the air. There has been a dramatic shift in mood and the reality that this could not only go on for many months, if not years, as well as costing potentially millions of pounds is very real.”
Another insider added, “The stark reality is that the Duke and his team need to face the fact they need to address this.”
