Seven bizarre claims from Prince Andrew’s legal papers that spark more questions than answers in rape lawsuit

PRINCE Andrew has issued a defiant response to the sex abuse claims brought against him, as he faces charges of assault in the US.

The Duke of York has denied being a close friend of Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker, while his lawyers say he wants a trial by jury to contest the claim brought against him by Virginia Giuffre.

Guiffre claims in 2001 she was trafficked by Maxwell and billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with Andrew in London when she was 17, and a minor in US law.

She also alleges she was forced to have sex with him at homes belonging to Epstein in New York and the US Virgin Islands.

Andrew faces damages which could "easily" be in excess of £14m if he loses the civil case, according to lawyers.

The Duke has consistently denied all the allegations, and on Wednesday, his lawyers officially filed documents to court. A trial is scheduled for later this year.

Here are seven bombshells from Prince Andrew's court documents.

Doesn't admit to knowing whether Epstein was registered sex offender when he visited

In 2010, Andrew went to visit convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein at his Manhattan home, staying there for several days.

When speaking to BBC Newsnight in 2019, he said he went to visit the disgraced financier so that he could end the friendship.

He said: "At the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do and I admit fully that my judgement was probably coloured by my tendency to be too honourable but that's just the way it is."

In her legal papers, Giuffre's lawyers write: "In 2010, after Epstein had served his sentence and registered as a sex offender, Prince Andrew was photographed with Epstein in Central Park and stayed at Epstein's New York City mansion."

Andrew's lawyers, responding to this point, say he admits staying at the £50m townhouse but doesn't admit or deny whether he knew Epstein was a registered sex offender at the time.

Denies being close friends with Maxwell

Prince Andrew has admitted befriending paedophile Epstein but denies being close pals with Ghislaine Maxwell.

Giuffre's legal team has alleged: "Prince Andrew was a close friend of Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite who spent years overseeing and managing Epstein's sex trafficking network, and actively recruited underage girls, including Plaintiff."

The Duke's lawyers said he "denies" being close friends with Maxwell, and admits "he lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the remaining allegations".

It comes after it was reported Maxwell visited Buckingham Palace up to four times in one day.

Speaking on the ITV documentary Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile, former royal bodyguard Paul Page said: "From the way [Maxwell] was allowed to enter and exit the palace at will, we suspected that she may have had an intimate relationship with Prince Andrew.

Brit socialite Maxwell, 60, was convicted last month of five counts of sex trafficking and other charges for grooming and recruiting teenage girls for Jeffrey Epstein between 1994 and 2004.

She faces up to 65 years in prison when she is sentenced in New York later this year.

Claims he wasn't frequent guest of Epstein

The Duke has denied that he was "a frequent guest in Epstein's various homes around the world, including New York City," where he has been accused of sexually abusing Giuffre.

In his 11-page "answer and affirmative defenses" to Giuffre's civil complaint, the Duke said he met Epstein "in or around 1999".

Andrew was pictured with Epstein in New York's Central Park in 2010 and admitted staying with him for several days despite knowing he was a convicted sex offender.

When questioned about why he stayed at a paedophile's mansion by Emily Maitlis on BBC's Newsnight in 2019, he replied: "It was a convenient place to stay."

During this stay, many young women were reportedly seen coming and going from the house, and literary agent John Brockman claimed to have seen the prince getting a foot massage from a young Russian woman, alongside Epstein, something he has denied.

Doesn't know if Virginia Roberts picture exists

By far the most damaging photo of the Duke of York appears to show him with his arm around the 17-year-old while Maxwell watches on in the background.

The picture was allegedly taken by Epstein at Maxwell's London house after the four of them went to Tramp nightclub, before, Giuffre alleges, Andrew had sex with her.

In court papers, Andrew says he "lacks sufficient information to admit or deny" that he was pictured with Maxwell and Giuffre.

On Newsnight, the prince claimed he had "no recollection" of the photo being taken and said it could have been "doctored".

Andrew insisted that he had never been upstairs at Maxwell's house, where the photo was taken and said he always wore a "suit and tie" in London.

This is despite the fact he was previously pictured wearing a similar-looking open-necked blue shirt after a night out at London's Chinawhite club.

Doesn't know if he invited Epstein to Beatrice's 18th birthday

In August 2006, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's eldest daughter Beatrice celebrated her 18th birthday with a Victorian-themed "coming-of-age" masked ball.

Pictured at the party together were Maxwell, her on-off partner Jeffrey Epstein, and now-disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Beatrice wore a £10,000 dress designed by Georgina Chapman, who at the time was dating the sex offender film producer.

Chapman married Weinstein in 2007 but separated from him in 2017 after more than 90 women came forward with accusations of rape, assault, or sexual harassment against him.

Epstein was photographed at the Windsor Castle bash, despite the fact he had already been charged with procuring a minor for prostitution a month earlier.

Andrew has not denied inviting Epstein to Beatrice's birthday but said he lacks sufficient information to know if he did.

Giuffre's alleged causes of action are barred in whole or in part by her own wrongful conduct

Prince Andrew's lawyers

Doesn't know whether he emailed Maxwell about Giuffre in 2015

Giuffre's legal team allege Prince Andrew emailed Ghislaine Maxwell in early 2015 after she had publicly accused the Duke of sexually abusing her.

Andrew is reported to have written: "Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts."

Responding, Andrew's lawyers claim he "lacks sufficient information" to admit or deny whether or not he sent this email.

Claims Guiffre and others were responsible for her own alleged abuse

The prince has refuted Giuffre's major claim of "sexual abuse" and "rape" when she was "under the age of 18".

His lawyers have stated: "Assuming, without admitting, that Giuffre has suffered any injury or damage, Giuffre and/or others, who are not Prince Andrew, contributed in whole or in part to the alleged damage."

Andrew's legal team also listed "consent" and the "doctrine of unclean hands" - alleging Giuffre acted unethically related to the accusations - among his defences.

"Giuffre's alleged causes of action are barred in whole or in part by her own wrongful conduct," they wrote.