The Royals Are “Deeply Shocked” Over Prince Andrew Demanding a Trial
Prince Andrew reportedly wants a trial by jury in his sexual assault case, and senior royals are not on board. Per a legal filing reported on by CNN, Andrew has “formally denied allegations that he sexually abused Virginia Giuffre” and has “demanded” a jury trial. Meanwhile, The Sun reports that Prince Charles and Prince William are said to be “leading efforts” to convince Andrew to settle in order to avoid humiliation—especially after his disastrous interview on Newsnight in 2019.
“After the car crash of Newsnight, no one thinks a seven-hour deposition is a good idea,” a source says. “If he were to appear in court, it could be many times worse, and senior royals were deeply shocked when they heard that he was demanding a jury trial. The best outcome for everyone is that this is settled as soon as possible. There are deep, deep worries that this will get worse and worse for the family and will overshadow Platinum Jubilee celebrations.”
The royals seem to be doing their best to distance themselves from Andrew and stripped him of his titles on January 13, saying in a statement, “With the Queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to the Queen. The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
A statement from Buckingham Palace regarding The Duke of York: pic.twitter.com/OCeSqzCP38
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) January 13, 2022
Royal expert Kristin Contino told Us Weekly at the time that William “was very involved in this decision, and it’s been said that he met with the Queen in person ahead of their announcement that came out last week.”
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