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The Yorks

Prince Andrew asked to prove inability to sweat by Virginia Giuffre’s lawyers

Prince Andrew has been asked to provide documents proving his “alleged medical inability to sweat” in a court filing by attorneys for Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who has accused the Duke of York of sexual assault in a US civil lawsuit.

In the court documents filed just before the New Year, attorneys also ask for any documents related to anyone the Prince met at a Pizza Express restaurant in Woking, England, or at Club Tramp Nightclub London, along with his travel to and from both of those places.

The lawsuit claims Giuffre was trafficked by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein who forced her to have sexual interactions with his friends – including the Prince. The lawsuit goes on, saying that Andrew was aware Giuffre was underage (17) in the US at the time of the alleged incident. Prince Andrew has always strenuously denied the claims made by Giuffre. In a 2019 BBC interview, Andrew said he took his eldest daughter to a party at Pizza Express on the night in question in 2001. In the interview, he also claims he has not been able to sweat for many years because of a war injury. Giuffre claimed to the contrary, saying he was sweating profusely before the alleged assault.

In addition to documents related to the businesses Andrew is believed to be at that evening, attorneys are demanding documents related to travel in Epstein’s plane and documents related “to all gifts or other things of value” received by Epstein or British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell. The filing reads: “If Prince Andrew truly has no documents concerning his communications with Maxwell or Epstein, his travel to Florida, New York, or various locations in London, his alleged medical inability to sweat, or anything that would support the alibis he gave during his BBC interview, then continuing with discovery will not be burdensome to him at all.”

Oral arguments in the case are set for Tuesday 4 January where attorneys for the 61-year-old Prince are expected to argue for the lawsuit to be dismissed. The Prince’s legal team claimed in a motion the court does not have jurisdiction over the case. On top of the current lawsuit, US judges have ruled a 2009 settlement between Epstein and Giuffre as confidential. It’s believed the settlement could have also referenced the Prince. The settlement is expected to be released to the public in due course.

Epstein, a convicted sex offender, killed himself in prison in 2019 as he was awaiting a sex trafficking trial. His former partner, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, was found guilty this week in a New York court of grooming underage girls to be abused by him.

About author

My name is Sydney Zatz and I am a University of Iowa graduate. I graduated with a degree in journalism and sports studies, and a minor in sport and recreation management. A highlight of my college career was getting the chance to study abroad in London and experiencing royal history firsthand. I have a passion for royals, royal history, and journalism, which led me to want to write for Royal Central.