Exclusive:
Prince Andrew has had a ‘mood shift’ as the High Court is to serve sex case papers, with a source telling the Mirror ‘there’s tension in the air and he’s not so blasé now’
Just last week Prince Andrew was convinced he would easily beat Virginia Giuffre’s sex allegations against him.
Sources have said that his bullish mood has changed since Monday’s announcement by the High Court that it would serve civil case papers against him from the United States.
And now the Duke of York is preparing himself for a legal fight that could go on for many years and potentially cost him millions of dollars.
Giuffre is a former sex slave of Jeffrey Epstein who forced Giuffre to have three sex sessions with him when she was 17.
Legal experts have predicted she could be awarded around £14million if she wins.
The Mirror revealed last week the Prince was so confident the case would collapse he planned to return to royal duties.
Insiders say he now exudes a different vibe.
One source said: “He’s not been his usual blasé self, acting like everything is in hand.
“The issue has suddenly become very pressing and there is a distinct tension in the air.
“There has been a dramatic shift in mood and the reality that this could not only go on for many months, if not years, as well as costing potentially millions of pounds is very real.”
Another insider added: “The stark reality is that the Duke and his team need to face the fact they need to address this.”
Ms. Guiffre’s lawyer David Boies said: “We are hopeful that Prince Andrew will now stop trying to evade and delay facing his accuser in court.
“The bottom line is Andrew is being served. He cannot refuse.”
In another blow for Andrew, the High Court judge refused to unseal a document the Prince’s lawyer’s claim would invalidate Ms. Giuffre’s claim.
According to the document, which was signed by his accuser it allegedly stops her from suing.
Andrew will have to file a legal request to obtain a copy. That would mean that he must accept that he has been served with the lawsuit.
The High Court will now attempt to locate the Duke to send him a representative. This is called the service of proceedings.
His legal team would have 21 business days to respond once the documents are served.
The US judge dismissed Andrew’s claim that he could not respond to Giuffre’s suit, claiming that he had not received the documents. However, they were left at Andrew’s Windsor home by a policeman.
Lewis A Kaplan has scheduled a hearing for October 17.
Andrew, who denies the claims, was this week pictured at the Queen’s Balmoral estate.