It seems that Prince Andrew and his legal team are determined to face off against Virginia Giuffre in court. The civil case has already seen the Prince lose millions of dollars, and if he loses the case to Giuffre, he’d have to shell out millions more to meet her damages claim.
Royal experts have advised the Duke to settle out of court in order to avoid what could be a humiliating trial, but his legal team vowed to disgrace Giuffre in court.
The Duke of York Could Face Bailiffs Coming Round to Seize His Property if He Insists on Not Settling Sexual Assault Case Out of Court
Andrew recently announced that he wants claims he assaulted Virginia Giuffre to be heard by a jury in New York. The now 38-year-old accused the Prince of forcing her to have “sexual intercourse with him against her will” thrice when she was just 17 years.
Andrew, 62, is rumored to have sold his £17 million ski chalet resort in the Swiss Alps to avoid having it seized should he lose the case. And while his home at Royal Lodge is not owned by him, there’s a fair chance that he’ll see officers from the court turning up at the gate to seize his properties.
Lawyer Arick Fudali, who has worked closely with victims of Epstein for Lisa Bloom’s firm, said that the Duke could have his assets seized if he doesn’t emerge victorious in the case.
“There is a method and procedure for seizing assets, even overseas assets, in the event there is an award of damages and the defendant tries to avoid paying,” he told The Sun Online.
“This could include seizing bank accounts, physical property, etc. Assuming for the sake of this question that there is an award of damages against Prince Andrew, he would be able to avoid the seizure of assets by posting a bond pending the inevitable appeal.”
He went on to add that Andrew will suffer financially if the court rules in Giuffre’s favor. “Assuming the appeal goes in favour of Ms. Giuffre, Prince Andrew would either have to pay the amount owed, settle the matter for another amount, or risk his assets being seized.”
Prince Andrew’s Expensive Tastes: From High-end Watches to Costly Cars
The prince’s overall net worth is not yet clear, though sources have listed it as being around £32 million.
However, there are speculations regarding how he manages to continue funding his expensive lifestyle. Publicly, he is known to receive £249,000 as a yearly allowance from Buckingham Palace and a further £20,000 pension from the Navy. He is unlikely to receive money from either sources at the moment as he has been stripped of his titles and he is no longer a working royal.
Nevertheless, he owns a small fleet of luxury cars, which includes a £220,000 Bentley. The Duke also has a collection of high end watches that is said to include a £150,000 Patek Philippe. He has also been spotted wearing an 18 carat gold Apple Watch worth £12,000 and a Platinum Rolex Day, which is reportedly valued at £9,700.
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