Queen Elizabeth II will be celebrating her seven decades as head of the monarchy. However, there are some concerns that her son Prince Andrew's legal battle might steal the limelight away from the monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Spotlight At Risk
Royal photographer Charles Rae weighed in on the Duke of York's legal woes. According to him, the case could be marred the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebration if New York Judge Lewis A. Kaplan would choose to rule in favor of the court case.
"Of course, it's going to overshadow the celebrations," Rae said on GB News, as per Express. "This is a monumental year for Her Majesty, 70 years on the throne. And surely, she's been through enough over the last 12 months, for God's sake."
He added that the question will remain in the background and if it will proceed into a court case, it will not happen until the autumn. Thus, it will be hanging over the royal family and the Jubilee celebration.
Queen Elizabeth II's Son Prince Andrew's Sexual Abuse Case Update
Virginia Giuffre, previously Virginia Roberts, sued Prince Andrew for alleged sexual abuse when she was 17. She is seeking unspecified damage from him. The Duke of York has denied her allegations.
In December, Prince Andrew and his legal team challenged the jurisdiction of the New York court because they found evidence that Giuffre is allegedly not a U.S. citizen. Prince Andrew's lawyer Andrew Brettler asked the court to halt the sexual assault lawsuit until the "issue of subject matter jurisdiction is adjudicated."
ALSO READ: Meghan Markle Shock: Piers Morgan Thanked Prince Harry's Wife For Topping Ofcom's Complaints List
"The court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over this dispute and must dismiss the action as a matter of law," the motion added.
Prince Andrew's camp alleged that Giuffre and her family lived in Australia for all but two of the last 19 years years. She allegedly only moved to Colorado two years before she sued the royal prince and "only recently registered to vote" in the state using her parents' mailing address there.
"In light of the apparent lack of diversity jurisdiction, Prince Andrew respectfully requests that the court order Ms. Giuffre to respond to targeted written discovery requests pertaining to her domicile and submit to a two-hour remote deposition limited to the issue of her domicile," the lawyer wrote per The Guardian.
Sky News noted that the federal court does not allow both parties involved in a case to be foreign citizens.
Giuffre's lawyer Sigrid McCawley responded to Prince Andrew's challenge. In a statement to Rolling Stone, she said the challenge was "just another in a series of tired attempts by Prince Andrew to duck and dodge the legal merits of the case Virginia Giuffre has brought against him."
"All parties in litigation are subject to discovery, and Prince Andrew is no exception, despite what he may think," McCawley continued.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about Prince Andrew's legal battle.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Pop Culture