Royal Family news latest: Judge warns Prince Andrew to ‘stop wasting time’ as lawyers say assault claims are ‘baseless’

ALL GUNS BLAZING

Prince Andrew brazenly held a shooting party over the weekend — just days before a court hearing over sex assault claims against him.

The Duke of York hosted guests at the Queen’s private 550-acre Balmoral estate despite the legal challenge facing him in a New York court today.

And those invited to the ­Scottish retreat are thought to have included the Crown Prince of Bahrain, 51, who is linked to human rights abuses in his home country.

The gathering came as The Sun revealed Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s lawyers claim they have secured the testimony of two key witnesses who say they saw Andrew, 61, with her on two separate occasions.

The Prince stated in a disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019 that he had “no recollection” of meeting Ms Giuffre.

EXPLAINED: WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE PRINCE ANDREW SERVED STORY?

Lawyers acting for Ms Giuffre insist they have served papers on Prince Andrew for a sex assault lawsuit by leaving them with police at the gate of Windsor Royal Lodge on August 27.

But sources said the Prince’s team believe they had laid a trap for her lawyers and would argue the summons had not been properly served as it should be delivered via a ­British court official.

Yet lawyers for Ms Giuffre — now 38 but just 17 at the time of the alleged rape in the first degree — are certain they have followed the correct protocol.

US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, overseeing the case, will rule on whether he has been served. Ms Giuffre’s people have talked with Johanna Sjoberg and Steve Scully, said to be key witnesses, in recent weeks, The Sun on Sunday can reveal.

Her lawyer David Boies said: “We’ve spoken to a woman who saw them at the Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion and a man who ­witnessed them on the island.”

EXPLAINED: WHEN DID THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH PASS AWAY?

On April 9, the Duke of Edinburgh passed away “peacefully” at Windsor Castle.

Her Majesty, 94, shared a poignant photo of Philip in a heartfelt tribute to her “strength and guide” at the time of his death.

The tragic news was a huge blow to the Queen, with the Duke widely known to be the backbone of the Royal Family.

 HARRY AND MEGHAN’S POPULARITY WITH BRITS PLUNGES TO RECORD LOW, DAMNING POLL REVEALS

According to a YouGov survey, only 26 per cent of Brits “favour” Meghan while 65 per cent dislike her, bringing her net approval rating to -39 per cent.

For Harry, just 34 per cent say they like him compared to 59 per cent who don’t, taking the prince’s net favourability rating to -25 per cent.

Harry’s rating has tumbled 25 points since April, while Meghan’s fell nine points during the same span of time.

Pensioners were the harshest, with just 13 to 18 per cent of over 65s saying they approved of the couple.

But Harry and Meghan can rejoice in one fact: that Prince Andrew has by far the lowest approval rating of any royal in the survey.

SCOTTISH CHARITY WATCHDOG PROBES PRINCE CHARLES' CHARITY

Scotland's charity regulator has launched an investigation following claims the Prince of Wales' charitable foundation accepted a six-figure sum from a wealthy Russian donor.

Charles wrote a letter thanking the businessman for his generous offer of more than £500,000 to the Prince's Foundation last year, and suggested they could meet after the Covid crisis.

The charity initially received £100,000 but the total sum was reportedly rejected by the ethics committee of the foundation, whose headquarters are in Scotland, following concerns about its provenance, according to The Sunday Times.

The investigation launched by the Scottish Charity Regulator comes shortly after an alleged cash-for-honours scandal which saw Michael Fawcett temporarily step down as the foundation's chief executive earlier this month.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Charity Regulator said: "We have been working with the Prince's Foundation to better understand the use of the organisation's funds, and to gain a full understanding of the work which is being undertaken by the charity's trustees to investigate the range of issues which have been raised.

"We have written to the trustees informing them that we will investigate these matters under the powers set out in section 28 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and will follow up any additional queries as they arise.

FACE OFF

PRINCE Andrew could be forced to give evidence if he continues to "dodge and duck" Virginia Roberts' rape claims, the lawyer representing Jeffrey Epstein's victims has said.

Speaking on a BBC Radio 4 show this morning, lawyer Lisa Bloom said that a UK court could get involved if the Duke of York refuses to be questioned willingly.

"No one is above the law," she told Today. "We have a legal cooperation agreement between the US and the UK.

"We have a system and a process and especially when it comes to sexual assault cases [Ms Roberts is] entitled to her day in court, he's entitled to present all his defences.

"There are many ordinary cases every day where citizens of the UK are required to answer questions under oath and depositions in US cases and vice versa because we have a friendly agreement between the two countries."

PRINCE ANDREW HIRES TOP HOLLYWOOD LAWYER TO APPEAR AT SEX ASSAULT CASE TO FIGHT VIRGINA ROBERTS’ RAPE CLAIM

Prince Andrew has hired a top Hollywood lawyer to appear at a hearing in his sex assault civil case, it’s reported.

Hours before a phone conference with his accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s team, it’s believed US legal eagles representing the royal will take part.

It had been believed they’d stonewall the hearing altogether, amid claims the duke’s UK-based legal team has never intended to participate.

Read more here.

PRINCE HARRY WILL TARGET CAMILLA PARKER BOWLES IN HIS £29M MEMOIR AND MAY NAME ‘ROYAL RACIST’, PAUL BURRELL CLAIMS

Paul Burrell says the Duke is “set to reveal any Camilla secrets” as he dishes the dirt in his memoir, due to be released in 2022.

The 36-year-old royal won’t hold back on the woman who cooly “stepped into Diana’s shoes” after her death, because his publishers “want their money’s worth,” according to Burrell.

But it could only exacerbate the ongoing Royal family feud as he believes Prince Charles will be “livid” if he tarnishes the Duchess of Cornwall.

The 63-year-old told Closer magazine: “The publisher, Penguin, will no doubt want their money’s worth in this book deal. That means they won’t want vagueness – they’ll want names and specifics.”

He hinted that Harry “could very well name” the much-discussed racist family member who raised concerns about how dark their son Archie’s skin could be before he was born.

Meghan made the shocking revelation during her explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, but refused to identify the individual as it would be “very damaging to them”.

Read more here.

EXPLAINED: WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE PRINCE ANDREW SERVED STORY?

Lawyers acting for Ms Giuffre insist they have served papers on Prince Andrew for a sex assault lawsuit by leaving them with police at the gate of Windsor Royal Lodge on August 27.

But sources said the Prince’s team believe they had laid a trap for her lawyers and would argue the summons had not been properly served as it should be delivered via a ­British court official.

Yet lawyers for Ms Giuffre — now 38 but just 17 at the time of the alleged rape in the first degree — are certain they have followed the correct protocol.

US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, overseeing the case, will rule on whether he has been served. Ms Giuffre’s people have talked with Johanna Sjoberg and Steve Scully, said to be key witnesses, in recent weeks, The Sun on Sunday can reveal.

Her lawyer David Boies said: “We’ve spoken to a woman who saw them at the Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion and a man who ­witnessed them on the island.”

EXPLAINED: HOW IS PRINCE ANDREW LINKED TO JEFFREY EPSTEIN?

The Duke of York said he first met Jeffrey Epstein, a billionaire financier, in 1999 with the now dead banker once describing him as his “best friend.”

That was also the year the UK press reported on the pair’s friendship.

The pair are thought to have flown together on Epstein’s private jet to the US Virgin Islands.

And in June 2000, Epstein and his Brit “madam” ex, Maxwell were both guests at a party hosted by the Queen at Windsor Castle.

Prince Andrew also became close with Maxwell – pictured together that same year at a Halloween party hosted by Heidi Klum in New York.

Just over a month later, in December 2000, the then 40-year-old prince, threw Ms Maxwell a surprise birthday party at Sandringham, with Epstein among the guests.

PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE ACCUSED OF ‘BREATHTAKING ENTITLEMENT’ OVER LILIBET’S CHRISTENING BY ROYAL EXPERT

Rumours suggest the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have requested a formal christening for baby Lilibet at Windsor Castle, Robert Jobson reports.

Lilibet Diana, who shares both the Queen’s pet name and Harry’s mother Diana’s name, was born in California in June.

It is not yet know where she will be christened, although royal commentator Robert Jobson suggests it would be “breathtaking” for Meghan and Harry to expect any kind of royal affair.

Writing in The Mirror, he said: “Now there is talk – as she is already older than her brother Archie was when he was christened – that they are pushing for a ceremony in the private chapel at Windsor Castle.

“To some, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s sense of entitlement might seem breathtaking.

“They seem to be blissfully unaware of the mayhem their behaviour has caused the Queen, the monarchy and the Royal Family.”

FURY OVER DUKE'S HANDLING OF SEX CASE

Royal aides are said to be furious the Duke of York has intruded on the Queen’s private summer retreat and made her look like she is harbouring him after he fled his own home in Windsor last week.

One royal source told the Sun said: “This is so brazen it is unbelievable. Prince Andrew is carrying on like nothing has happened and as if he hasn’t got a care in the world.

“It has been bad enough that he appears to have been seeking refuge at Balmoral, where the Queen is trying to have quiet time after a tough year, but to host a shooting party, with some dubious guests shows disrespect to the monarchy. And it is also tone deaf as if he does not care about what is going on with the legal case.”

WHAT IS THE ROYAL FAMILY’S CLAIM TO THE THRONE?

The Queen derives her right to rule from the House of Hanover – whose head became King George I in 1714.

In 1688 James II, the last Catholic king in British history, was deposed in favour of his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William. They did not have children so the throne then passed to her sister Anne (of The Favourite fame) who also died childless.

There was concern that the throne would pass to James’ son, also called James, whose birth to a Catholic mother had prompted the deposition in the first place. Therefore Parliament passed the Act of Succession in 1701 which forbade any Roman Catholic – or anyone married to a Catholic – from ever taking the throne.

This mean when Anne died in 1714, Parliament offered the throne to her second cousin – the Prince of Hanover in Germany – over many of her closer relatives.

His descendants would keep the Hanover name – and the throne – until 1840 when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert and all their children became known under their father’s last name – Saxe-Coburg Gotha.

During the First World War, with anti-German feeling running high, King George V (the Queen’s grandfather) thought it wise to change it to the much more British sounding Windsor – after their favourite castle.

It goes to show that although royalties may claim they are chosen by God – sometimes they are chosen by Parliament.

MONARCHY WILL DIE OUT BEFORE GEORGE HAS CHANCE TO BECOME KING, CLAIMS NOVELIST

Novelist Hilary Mantel has claimed that there are only two generations left in Britain’s monarchy, and thus Prince George will never be crowned king.

Although Ms Mantel says that she admires the determination of Queen Elizabeth, she feels that the modernisation of the world means that the royals time is running out.

The novelist, who previously branded Kate Middleton a ‘plastic, jointed doll‘ with ‘no personality of her own’ spoke to The Times about her prediction for the future of the monarchy.

As the article points out, the 69-year-old is accused of hating England, and Brexit voters since she stated she wanted to become an Irish citizen.

The novelist, best known for her Wolf Hall trilogy which followed the rise of blacksmith’s son Thomas Cromwell to Henry VIII’s chief minister, to his downfall and execution, says she admires the Queen’s determination.

WHAT HAS ANDREW SAID ABOUT THE ALLEGATIONS?

The Prince has strenuously denied all allegations brought against him.

Buckingham Palace strongly denied the allegation in 2015 saying “any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors” by the Duke was “categorically untrue”.

It has consistently denied the allegations, reinforcing that statement in 2019 by saying “Any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue.

“It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.”

Prince Andrew added: “At no stage during the limited time I spent with [Epstein] did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.”

All the allegations about Prince Andrew were struck from the court record in 2015.

They were described by the judge as being “immaterial and impertinent”.

KATE MIDDLETON ONCE POPPED INTO A PUB WITH PRINCESS CHARLOTTE FOR A VERY RELATABLE REASON

Stunned pub goers watched Prince William‘s wife and daughter pull up in a Range Rover, to use the facilities.

Kate and Charlotte, then three, are said to have walked hand-in-hand into The Phoenix in Stockwell, South London, as they popped in for a wee.

When it happened, in December 2018, pub local Maggie McKinney told the Mail Online: “The little kiddie just trotted in with her mum, went to the toilet and then trotted out.

“They could not have been in the pub for more than ten minutes.

“They seem very nice, totally normal. Princess Kate was holding her daughter’s hand. Princess Charlotte was just any other little girl.”

It was reported a staff member came in ahead of the Royals, to ask if they could use the loo.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE ADMITS IT MUST DO MORE IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY

Buckingham Palace has admitted it “must do more” and is “not where it would like to be” in terms of diversity, after publishing figures that revealed its proportion of ethnic minority employees stands at just 8.5 per cent, with a target of 10 per cent for 2022.

The Queen’s household also brought in a change to its Diversity Strategy in early 2020 – which pre-dates the Oprah interview – to one that actively emphasises the importance of inclusion.

Channel 4’s Black To Front, produced by an all-black presenting and reporting team, aired on Friday 10 September at 7pm.

JUDGE SLAMS ANDREW FOR WASTING TIME ON SEX ASSAULT CASE

A US judge slammed Prince Andrew’s lawyer for wasting time before giving the Royal a stay of execution last night to allow more time to argue over whether he was served a bombshell sexual abuse lawsuit.

The Duke of York’s hot shot Hollywood lawyer argued the case should be dismissed and branded it “baseless” during a 30 minute telephone pre-trial hearing.

Super-lawyer Andrew Brettler told the federal court in New York that it was a “non-viable and potentially unlawful” case.

He added he believed a 2009 settlement signed by his accuser with paedo financier Jeffrey Epstein released the Duke and others from “any and all potential liability”.

The US legal eagle also said Andrew’s team are speaking with the High Court in the UK to determine if the papers have been served.

MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY’S EXPLOSIVE OPRAH INTERVIEW MISSES OUT ON EMMY TO STANLEY TUCCI’S FOOD SHOW

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex‘s bombshell chat with Oprah Winfrey was up against Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy and My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman, in the best hosted nonfiction series category.

The interview, which was watched by more than 49million people globally in the first three days after it aired, saw the couple raise a number of controversial issues concerning their life in the Royal Family.

They claimed a member of the family had spoken of their concern about the colour baby Archie’s skin would be.

And Harry spoke of the rift between him and his father, which at one point he said led to Prince Charles “not taking may calls”.

The couple also accused Buckingham Palace of playing down Meghan’s suicidal thoughts and said they decided to step away from royal life as a result of the issues.

But despite sending shock waves through the monarchy, the CBS interview was beaten by Tucci’s six part CNN series on Sunday.

WILLIAM AND KATE GIVEN ‘HIGHER ROLES DUE TO THEIR POPULARITY’, SAYS EXPERT

Andrew Lownie, a royal expert, has claimed that Prince William and Kate Middleton have been given ‘higher roles due to their popularity’.

He told the Express : “We’re in a period of what can be called a soft regency, in effect the Queen is standing back, not doing many roles.

“The roles that she is doing are being accompanied by Prince Charles, everyone is being prepared for Charles and Camilla.

“As a result, William and Kate, who seem to be very popular, are stepping into the position that Charles and Camilla had.

“Because they are, I would say almost more popular than Charles and Camilla, they’ve probably been given a higher role.”

ALL GUNS BLAZING

Prince Andrew brazenly held a shooting party over the weekend — just days before a court hearing over sex assault claims against him.

The Duke of York hosted guests at the Queen’s private 550-acre Balmoral estate despite the legal challenge facing him in a New York court tomorrow.

And those invited to the ­Scottish retreat are thought to have included the Crown Prince of Bahrain, 51, who is linked to human rights abuses in his home country.

The gathering came as The Sun revealed Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s lawyers claim they have secured the testimony of two key witnesses who say they saw Andrew, 61, with her on two separate occasions.

The Prince stated in a disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019 that he had “no recollection” of meeting Ms Giuffre.

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE PRINCE ANDREW SERVED STORY?

Lawyers acting for Ms Giuffre insist they have served papers on Prince Andrew for a sex assault lawsuit by leaving them with police at the gate of Windsor Royal Lodge on August 27.

But sources said the Prince’s team believe they had laid a trap for her lawyers and would argue the summons had not been properly served as it should be delivered via a ­British court official.

Yet lawyers for Ms Giuffre — now 38 but just 17 at the time of the alleged rape in the first degree — are certain they have followed the correct protocol.

US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, overseeing the case, will rule on whether he has been served. Ms Giuffre’s people have talked with Johanna Sjoberg and Steve Scully, said to be key witnesses, in recent weeks, The Sun on Sunday can reveal.

Her lawyer David Boies said: “We’ve spoken to a woman who saw them at the Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion and a man who ­witnessed them on the island.”

BUCKINGHAM PALACE ADMITS IT MUST DO MORE IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY

Buckingham Palace has admitted it “must do more” and is “not where it would like to be” in terms of diversity, after publishing figures that revealed its proportion of ethnic minority employees stands at just 8.5 per cent, with a target of 10 per cent for 2022.

The Queen’s household also brought in a change to its Diversity Strategy in early 2020 – which pre-dates the Oprah interview – to one that actively emphasises the importance of inclusion.

Channel 4’s Black To Front, produced by an all-black presenting and reporting team, aired on Friday 10 September at 7pm.

MEGHAN AND HARRY’S AMBITIONS HAVE “BACKFIRED” AND THEY ARE MORE TRAPPED THAN EVER, ROYAL AUTHOR SAYS

Duncan Larcombe, the author of Prince Harry: The Inside Story, says the couple moved to LA to try to forge their own path but their mounting unpopularity means it may have backfired.

He said:“If freedom is being able to say what you want, when you want, to whoever you choose to speak to, then Harry has found a degree of freedom. But if freedom is having good will behind you to live in peace, being able to live life as you want it or being at peace with the people you’ve rowed with, then freedom has not been achieved.

“It’s backfired. Harry and Meghan seem to have totally isolated themselves – they’re more trapped than ever in this new life they’ve created.”

WOLF HALL AUTHOR HILARY MANTEL SAYS SHE ADMIRES THE QUEEN’S DETERMINATION

Speaking of Queen Elizabeth,95 and Prince Charles she said: “I think they do it as well as anyone possibly could take it as seriously as anyone could.”

However, she then went on to say that she predicted the monarchy would only last another two generations due to modernisation.

“It’s very hard to understand the thinking behind the monarchy in the modern world when people are just seen as celebrities,” she said.

She predicted that Prince George, third in line to the throne after his great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth 95, grandfather Charles 72, and father William 38, would never be anointed, king.