Prince Andrew has been holding ‘crisis talks’ with his inner circle about ditching his legal team over its ‘shambolic’ handling of his sex abuse lawsuit, it has been reported.

The Duke of York is said to be unhappy at their refusal to issue a public statement in response to the allegations levelled by Virginia Giuffre.

She is suing the Queen’s son claiming she was trafficked by Andrew’s former friend and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with the duke when she was 17 and a minor under US law.

The civil case could drag on for years, racking up legal bills into the millions.

Andrew has vehemently denied the allegations.

He hired criminal defence solicitor Gary Bloxsome, a partner at Blackfords law firm, early last year.

The duke is said to have urged his legal team to put out a statement refuting Ms Giuffre’s claims shortly after she filed her lawsuit last month, but that request is thought to have been overruled.

A source close to Andrew told the Mirror that he is ‘extremely worried’ about the situation, adding: ‘The plan, if you can call it a plan, has been shambolic from the start.’

They went on: ‘The damage to his reputation is there for all to see but now he’s feeling the pressure from his family, though none of them have become directly involved. The whole thing’s a disaster.’

According to the Mirror, royal sources have suggested that palace officials are ‘more than concerned’ that the lack of any public statement is damaging the monarchy.

Andrew stepped back from public duties after the backlash from his 2019 Newsnight interview, dubbed a ‘car crash’, which had attempted to draw a line under his relationship with Epstein – but instead saw him heavily criticised for showing little empathy with the sex offender’s victims.

In his Newsnight interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis, Andrew denied claims that he slept with Ms Giuffre on three separate occasions, saying: ‘I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened. I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.’

The duke also said he has no memory of a well-known photograph of him with his arm around Ms Giuffre’s waist at Maxwell’s house and has questioned whether it was his own hand in the image.

Metro has contacted Prince Andrew’s representatives for comment.

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