Prince Andrew served with U.S. civil accommodate, lawyers say

LONDON —
Attorneys for an American female who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Prince Andrew say they have served him with authorized papers in a U.S. civil go well with.

Lawyers for Virginia Giuffre say the paperwork had been handed over to a Metropolitan Law enforcement officer on obligation at the major gates of Andrew’s residence in Windsor Fantastic Park at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 27. The handover of the paperwork, first reported by Britain’s Every day Mail newspaper, is significant mainly because Andrew would be obliged to reply within just 21 days of the summons.

“If you are unsuccessful to answer, judgment by default will be entered towards you for the aid demanded in the grievance,” Giuffre’s lawyers explained in the paperwork.

Andrew’s associates did not respond to a request for comment. The prince has continuously denied the allegations in the lawsuit brought by Giuffre, a longtime accuser of the late convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.

When the match was filed very last thirty day period in the U.S. District Court docket for the Southern District of New York, authorized authorities advised it left Andrew with no excellent options as the next son of Queen Elizabeth II seeks to maintenance his image and return to public existence.

If the prince attempts to overlook the lawsuit, he runs the threat that the court could come across him in default and purchase him to pay out damages. And if he decides to struggle, Andrew faces decades of sordid headlines as the circumstance winds its way by means of court.

The lawsuit is a different unwelcome story for the royals, reminding the public of Andrew’s backlinks to Epstein two many years after his demise. Britain’s royal family is also continue to recovering from allegations of racism and insensitivity leveled at them by Prince Harry and his spouse, Meghan, earlier this calendar year.