Trials of a prince: ANDREW OUT IN THE COLD

Royally dumped by the palace, the Queen’s wayward son is on his own

We’re only a few weeks into 2022 and already it is shaping up to be the worst year of Prince Andrew’s life.

A US judge has ruled that a civil lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Giuffre, alleging he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17, can go ahead. As a result, he has been stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages, and can no longer use the title His Royal Highness. A statement from Buckingham Palace announced that he would have to fight the court case as a private citizen.

The dramatic move came the day after Andrew, 61, got the news that the lawsuit would be going ahead, despite his lawyers’ best efforts to get it thrown out. They argued that Virginia’s 2009 settlement with Andrew’s friend, paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, barred her from suing anyone else, and that her allegations were vague and not a violation of law. But Judge Lewis Kaplan turned down Andrew’s plea to have the lawsuit dismissed.

Andrew denies all claims and says he can’t remember meeting Virginia, even though there is a photo of them with socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.

So what happens now? Legal experts say Andrew has three options, none of them particularly good.

Will Andrew have to go to court in the US?