PRINCE Andrew is being failed by the strategy of his lawyers over the sex abuse claims, royal aides fear.
Royal sources say that the “wall of silence” is damaging the monarchy as Virginia Giuffre’s lawyers try to serve the sex abuse lawsuit on him.
A royal source told The Telegraph: “There is growing disquiet over the advice being given to the Duke by his London legal team in the face of this potentially highly damaging lawsuit which also has wider reputational implications for the institution of the monarchy.
“The legal team’s wall of silence and policy of evasion only adds to the impression [that] the Duke has something to hide and there is widespread concern that things have been allowed to get to this point.”
The Duke of York is set to face a lawsuit in the US after the High Court in the UK agreed to serve him papers.
He faces allegations he forced Virginia Roberts Giufrre to sleep with him when she was 17.
Ms Robert was a former sex slave of late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew strongly denies all allegations against him as earlier this week his lawyer argued the case should be dismissed and branded it “baseless” during a 30-minute telephone pre-trial hearing.
But the Duke has been slammed for attempting to escape being served papers as he is at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
However, an insider claimed he is set to leave his hideaway to see his pregnant daughter Princess Beatrice, 33, at the hospital.
The 61-year-old is reportedly “worried” and not his usual self after feeling confident the allegation would be dropped.
He is reportedly bracing himself for a legal battle that could go on for years and end up costing him millions of pounds.
Meanwhile, Robert’s lawyers have accused him of playing a “game of hide and seek behind palace walls” as they filed papers documenting their bid to make sure he is properly served papers so the case can proceed.
Insiders claimed the Duke could change his home address to Balmoral to stay out of reach of being served with papers in the lawsuit against him.
It comes as Virginia Roberts released photos that prove the sex abuse lawsuit papers were sent to Prince Andrew’s home address.
