Prince Andrew has been linked to a fraud case and the report came just days after he escorted Queen Elizabeth II to his father Prince Philip's memorial service last week. The Duke of York's wife Sarah Ferguson and their daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were also mentioned in the court papers.
Prince Andrew And Family Allegedly Received Money From A Turkish Millionaire
Turkish millionaire Nebahat Evyap Isbilen filed a fraud lawsuit against Turkish businessman Selman Turk, a former Goldman Sachs banker to retrieve millions, which he allegedly tricked her to transfer to Prince Andrew. In a High Court case, Isibelen claimed that Prince Andrew received more than £1 million, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson £225,00, their daughters Princess Eugenie £25,000 and Princess Beatrice an undisclosed amount as a "wedding gift," The Telegraph reported.
The amount also allegedly included a payment of £750,000 made in November 2019, days after Turk won a prize at Prince Andrew's Shark Tank-style Pitch@Palace competition for entrepreneurs, according to the complaint.
The 77-year-old complainant claimed she sent money to Prince Andrew to obtain a new Turkish passport after she fled the country. However, she was later told by Turk and Prince Andrew's office that the money she sent was a "wedding gift" to Princess Beatrice, which she denied.
"Mr. Turk told me that he received help from the Duke of York to show or send the picture of my old passport to Turkey and that this service would normally be worth £2 million, but it would cost less if we made the payment by way of a gift," Isbelin told the High Court. "I have seen an email from Mr. Turk to Hampden Bank explaining that this transfer was a wedding gift to Princess Beatrice owing to the close connection between our families. This email is entirely false."
There was no indication that Princess Beatrice was aware of the transaction.
Princess Eugenie And Mom Sarah Denied Any Knowlege In Fraud Case Linked To Prince Andrew
Both Princess Eugenie and Ferguson released a statement to address the allegation. According to the mother and daughter, they were not aware about where the money was from and thought it was financial assistance.
"On 31 March 2022, I received a letter from solicitors Peters & Peters representing their client Nebahat Evyap Isbilen in her claim against a Mr. Selman Turk, and various companies. I know neither Mrs. Isbilen nor Mr. Turk (nor any other details of the claim) and I was surprised to receive this letter, which asked me to explain two payments made to my bank account in October 2019, which I understood to be gifts from a long-standing family friend to assist with the cost of a surprise party for my mother, Sarah, Duchess of York's sixtieth birthday," Princess Eugenie said in a statement shared with People.
Princess Eugenie said she asked those who donated to send the money directly to the caterer. She remembered receiving two payments in the sum of £25,000 for her mother's birthday and she claimed to have sent the amount to the organizers of the party.
"I am now consulting with my lawyers who I have asked to respond to Peters & Peters on my behalf to assist in their inquiries," Prince Harry and Prince William's cousin added.
Meanwhile, the Duchess of York also denied any knowledge of the recent controversy linked to her ex-husband.
"The Duchess was completely unaware of the allegations that have since emerged against Mr. Turk. She is naturally concerned by what has been alleged against him," a rep for Ferguson told People.
Prince Andrew Hit With New Controversy After Public Sighting With Queen Elizabeth
The fraud case linked to Prince Andrew came into light just days after he escorted Queen Elizabeth II to Prince Philip's memorial service. The sight raised some eyebrows because many didn't expect the monarch would choose him and let him take the center stage in the family event.
The memorial service was Prince Andrew's first public appearance after he settled the sexual assault lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre against him a few weeks ago.
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There were speculations that he demanded to escort the monarch to redeem his reputation. The Duke of York was allegedly trying to make his way back into the royal fold.
However, royal biographer Robert Jobson denied the rumors. According to the Prince Philip's Century author, it was the Queen who wanted to have her second son as her escort. It was her call and she did it because only Prince Andrew among her four children has no partner.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about the royal family.
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