Prince Andrew’s civil case: What happens next?

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The Duke of York will face a two-day grilling with his sexual assault accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s lawyers during a deposition hearing next month. Andrew will meet lawyers representing Ms Giuffre in London on March 10. She alleges Andrew sexually assaulted her three times when she was 17 and was being trafficked by convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The Duke denies all allegations against him, with his lawyers saying he is prepared to face a jury to clear his name.

The news comes as his mother celebrates reaching her Platinum Jubilee — which officially began on Sunday — as she becomes the first British sovereign in history to reach 70 years on the throne.

Andrew is expected to be sidelined from all celebrations as he fights his civil sex case as a “private citizen”.

Few have come to Andrew’s defence in the last few years, with only his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, fighting his corner.

With the spotlight on the Duke more than ever, his signature arrogance ‒ showing he is anything but Prince Charming – has come to light in unearthed reports.

Sir Ivor Roberts, a former ambassador to Italy, Yugoslavia and Ireland told The Times in 2019 that he was forced to send in officials to clear up the mess Andrew left behind.

Andrew was serving as a trade ambassador at the time.

Sir Ivor told the newspaper that Andrew had “rubbed people up the wrong way” during a trip to Italy.

He recalled: “He met a representative from an extremely popular fashion house, Schiapelli, and asked who she was. ‘Never heard of you’, he replied.

“Andrew was full of his own self-importance and there was a lot of standing on ceremony.”

Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2011, Sir Ivor revealed he “had to send my deputy the next week to smooth ruffled feathers”.

Meanwhile, Simon Wilson, Britain’s former deputy head of mission in Bahrain, once admitted Andrew earned himself a rather unfortunate nickname over his “boorish” behaviour.

He told the Daily Mail in 2010: “HRH the Duke of York was more commonly known among the British diplomatic community in the Gulf as HBH: His Buffoon Highness.

“This nickname stemmed from his childish obsession with doing exactly the opposite of what had been agreed in pre-visit meetings with his staff.”

He added: “He appeared to regard himself as an expert in every matter… Colleagues put this down to an inferiority complex about being mentally challenged.”

The Queen’s second son’s manners have repeatedly been called into question from a very early age.

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Back in the Eighties, Andrew was a military hero, girls gushed over him, and was one of the most popular royals on the circuit.

Yet, behind the scenes, Buckingham Palace staff had always found him a handful.

His nanny, Mabel Anderson, labelled him “Baby Grumpling” because of his “temper tantrums and obstinacy”, when he was a child, according to investigative author Nigel Cawthorne.

Writing in the Daily Mail two years ago, Mr Cawthorne said Andrew gained a reputation as a “bit of a bully” at his Heatherdown prep school.

He wrote: “The Heatherdown staff, it must be said, were not sorry to see him leave.”

Andrew is alleged to have no regard for his protection officers, and has reportedly treated some of them appallingly.

Former bodyguard Ken Wharfe told Mr Cawthorne that he had been removed from a window seat on a flight back from Balmoral as he was obstructing Andrew’s view.

Mr Wharfe said: “His manners are just awful.”

Another former protection officer, Paul Page, told how Andrew yelled at security when they rushed to investigate an apparent intruder lurking near the Queen’s bedroom — only to find it was Andrew wandering the corridors.

Before the situation could be explained, Andrew flipped at the officers: “This is my f***ing house, I can go where I want. Now f*** off!”

According to The Guardian, Andrew’s security costs could amount to up to £2million each year.

Questions have been raised over whether a non-working royal should receive taxpayer-funded security after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were stripped of theirs.

Graham Smith, from campaign group Republic, told the newspaper: “Given that he’s no longer in any real sense a member of the royal household it does make sense he pays for his own security.”

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