Prince Andrew served with legal papers over sexual assault lawsuit (Telegraph)

More worries for the Queen.

can they do that? Stop him being served by not allowing access to the property? Will this be a precedent?

'Mr Bloxsome has rejected the method of service, which he described as “regrettable” and procedurally improper.

He accused Ms Giuffre’s legal team of failing to follow correct procedures, claiming the lawsuit should be served via a British court official, who would act as an intermediary.'

Mr Bloxsome is the Duke's private secretary. Not a legal expert. Not sure how legal it is for a (cowardly) wealthy person to hide behind a barred gate and security guards to avoid being served.

Explains why Andrew has been hiding away. If he couldn't be served, he presumably couldn't be tried.

Scared as I am to venture onto a Royal thread, I have to say that this is good news.

We can't have people being seen to be above the law because of their position, and if he answers the charges it will show that the law applies to everyone.

I think there is an approximately 0% chance of his being found guilty, though, but at least it's a start.

Good job. Can’t stand the weasel, and he is doing a disservice to his mother hiding behind her and not fronting up to the allegations.

Apparently they've not been served correctly. Back to the drawing board

Can he be found guilty? I understood it’s not a criminal trial, but a civil claim for damages.
Whatever it is, he shouldn’t have been trying to avoid the papers being served to him.

DillytheGardener

Good job. Can’t stand the weasel, and he is doing a disservice to his mother hiding behind her and not fronting up to the allegations.

I agree.

For it to stand legally doesn't the document have to be served to the person, rather than their representative ? It'll never happen then if that's the case but willing to stand corrected if anyone out there knows ?

Gives a bad message. If he can avoid being served so can everyone else. He is a disgrace, whether or not he is guilty of anything.

That's my understanding too. The papers have to given directly to the person who is being served.

Surely anyone falsely accused would want to prove their innocence. This is never going away until he man's up and tackles it head on instead of trying to avoid it.

This is a very strange case indeed. I’ve read the Yahoo article and it says Virginia Guiffre accepted compensation from Epstein so the case against the lawyer was cancelled as a consequence and the case against Prince Andrew could do likewise. Not sure I understand.

I doubt if anyone will get the full facts about this sordid case. I am pleased Prince Andrew has been served papers. He has a case to answer and he shouldn't be allowed to duck out of it because he is a member of our Royal Family. Hiding away and trying to avoid the issue makes him look guilty. I have always found him the most arrogant of the Queen's children with a staggering sense of entitlement. He was born on my 11th birthday. My Granny was so impressed by this she gave me an extra half a crown. That's the only thing he's ever been any good for, in my opinion.

Innocent until proven guilty,but hididng behind his mother at his age is realy telling imo.

Smileless2012

That's my understanding too. The papers have to given directly to the person who is being served.

Surely anyone falsely accused would want to prove their innocence. This is never going away until he man's up and tackles it head on instead of trying to avoid it.

I agree Smileless. ( picks self up off the floor)

The handsome Falklands ‘hero’ has indeed become a pompous, sullen overweight bore.
To me, it’s all a storm in a teacup and no more money should be spent on it. All the legal expenses must be astronomical.

I'm not sure that the papers have been correctly and legally served, but these sordid allegations are not going to go away no matter how much Andrew wants them to. I imagine most of the RF must be fed up to the back teeth with him and the adverse publicity being generated. For everyone's sake he should just face the music. It's a civil lawsuit not a criminal one so the burden of proof is greatly reduced, but then so are the punishment options. Aren't civil cases decided on the basis of probability not on beyond reasonable doubt?

I think that too many wealthy people get away with too much just by some sort of automatic "social standing".

Being part of the Royal family should not exempt you from the law or its just all a farce.

We all have the same rights and the same obligations under the law or the whole system is a corrupt joke.

I know we already knew that but for our Queen to send that message is heart breaking.

I agree with you VioletSky. I actually think the Queen herself is allowing this fiasco to continue. I know that Andrew is an adult and therefore responsible for his actions, but I’m surprised by the apparent silence of the Queen and other senior members of the RF. I have said this before on Gransnet and was told it was nothing to do with the Queen. Nonetheless I think she needs to intervene in this sordid affair as she represents the family. Andrew needs to be firmly told as he is obviously intending to avoid the whole business by hiding behind his mother and their huge estates. Anyone else would open their front door and have been served the necessary papers. They couldn’t hide on a vast estate owned by their mother.

Any decent and honourable human being would want to face the music. Especially if there was nothing to hide and, not only a family, but the reputation of a country brought in to question.
Honourable and decent? Ha.

What can the Queen say ?

I think she can tell him that he is bringing both the family and the country into disrepute. She can tell him to stop hiding on her estates and face up to what has happened. She could tell him he’s not to come to Balmoral unless he accepts the papers that are being legally served to him.

As I understand it, there is no outcome from this that will allow PA to face up to, or avoid the fall out.
1) he dithers, hides and weasels out.
He will continue to be accused and dropped from engagements.
2) he accepts the conditions of the charge, will u undoubtedly be found guilty and have to pay financial retribution.
Which will leave him always guilty, always persona non grata.
Owing or paying with whose money? The Queen?
Which will put a stain on her reputation. Forever.

I think his advisers have opted for the weasle defense.
Perhaps they can drag it out until Q has gone?

maddy we don’t know what she said to him, I thought you meant she should speak publicly.