Princess Beatrice could be called as witness in Prince Andrew case over birthday claim

Virginia Giuffre’s lawyers have revealed they plan to seek depositions from two British witnesses who are people “close to Andrew who would have knowledge of his actions”, the Telegraph reports. The court deadline for submitting their details was January 14.

During Andrew’s disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019, he denied sleeping with Ms Giuffre on three separate occasions and claimed on one of the dates he had taken his eldest daughter to a birthday party at Pizza Express in Woking.

Beatrice could be asked to corroborate her father’s Pizza Express alibi.

Ms Giuffre is suing the Duke in the US for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager.

She is seeking unspecified damages, but there is speculation the sum could be in the millions of dollars.

Andrew has vehemently denied the allegations.

The Duke is facing the prospect of a court showdown after a judge rejected his bid to have Ms Giuffre’s lawsuit thrown out.

Andrew’s lawyers had argued Ms Giuffre had waived her right to pursue the royal by signing a confidential settlement with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

However, Judge Lewis A Kaplan on Wednesday threw out the royal’s motion to dismiss the CIVIL sexual assault case and ruled it can go to trial.

READ MORE: Queen still puts duty first with Prince Andrew titles move

Buckingham Palace said 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 royal source added that the Duke will stop using his HRH style.

The decision represents Andrew’s complete removal from official royal life, and an attempt to distance the monarchy from Andrew in the year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

And calls have been made for the Duke to lose the title linking him to the Yorkshire city with a “unique connection to the crown and the monarch”.

A senior member of City of York Council has begun a campaign to strip Andrew of his Duke of York title following the latest developments in the civil sex case.