As the civil suit againstPrince Andrew continues, and he vehemently denies any wrongdoing, a new proposition including Meghan Markle has created a stir.
Prince Andrew is being sued by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who has claimed that the Prince sexually assaulted her on three occasions in 2001. She was just 17 years old at the time – a minor. She also alleged that she was being sex-trafficked by Jeffrey Epsteinduring this period. In order to get to the truth, Giuffre’s lawyer has stated that he will attempt to depose members of the royal family, including Meghan Markle.
Giuffre’s lawyer, David Boies, explained his reasoning for considering the Duchess of Sussex to the [The Daily Beast.](https://www.thedailybeast.com/meghan-markle-may-be-deposed-in-virginia-roberts-giuffre-lawsuit-against-prince-andrew-david-boies-says?ref=authorf=author ) He revealed that Markle, ‘Was at least for a period of time - a close associate of Prince Andrew and hence is in a position to perhaps have seen what he did. Perhaps if not to have seen what he did, to have heard people talk about it.’
Boies also put this choice down to location as Markle has now lives in the US full-time and is a US citizen. This means the court has jurisdiction and therefore access to her. Furthermore, the standout reason he made was, ‘She is somebody who we can count on to tell the truth.’
However, Boies has stated that the deposition of the Duchess of Sussex was not yet set in stone. He admitted that Meghan was ‘just one of the people’ they are considering, noting that they haven’t made a definite decision yet. So, this doesn’t mean that Duchess of Sussex will definitely end up having to testify in the trial. Boies was also quizzed on the inclusion of other royal family members.
On whether Prince Harry could be on the list of deposition candidates, Mr Boies stated, 'He would also be available for deposition as he is in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction of the US courts.'
'But my guess is that we will probably only have the opportunity to take 10 to 12 depositions, so we have got to be careful about who we notice.'
We would not depose both Harry and Meghan, because we would not have the number of depositions to do that.
When questioned about including the Queen on that list he declined, 'I don’t think, out of respect and deference, and her age, we would seek to depose the Queen.'
'I don’t think she is going to have any knowledge that other people don’t have,' he added.
However, Boies is also considering Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, but this would be a difficult choice for deposition because she is a UK citizen.
Despite denying the sexual assault claims Giuffre has publicly made, Prince Andrew has stepped down from all royal duties since 2019 in order to protect the crown.
Prince Andrew’s lawyers have since filed for the civil case to be dismissed, suggesting that Giuffre cannot prove that she engaged in any sexual activity against her consent. Furthermore, the motion claimed that Giuffre, who was 17 at the time of the alleged abuse, was over the age of consent in New York state, where she is suing.
The Judge is set to hear the arguments from the dismissal on the 4th of January 2022.
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