Prince Andrew And His Legal Team 'Totally Uncooperative,' Lawyer Says

David Boies said that while the Duke of York can “ignore me and my client,” he "can’t ignore the court.”
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A lawyer representing longtime Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre called the Duke of York and his legal team “totally uncooperative” in assisting authorities and prosecutors, despite the royal’s very public promise to help.

David Boies, chairman of Boies Schiller Flexner, told Sky News on Tuesday that he and his firm have reached out to the duke’s legal team “a number of times over the last five years.”

“We’ve made an attempt to engage with him to give him an opportunity to tell his side of the story, to provide any explanation or context that he might have for his actions to try to resolve this without the necessity of litigation,” Boies said. “Every such effort has been rebuffed.”

“They have totally stonewalled us just like they’ve stonewalled the criminal prosecutors in the United States,” Boies added. “As a result, we’ve not been able to have a dialogue with him. [Prince Andrew’s team has] been totally uncooperative, not only with us, but with all of the lawyers representing victims of Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking.”

A spokeswoman for the duke’s legal team told HuffPost “no comment” on Wednesday when asked about Boies’ claims.

Boies added that while Andrew can “ignore me and my client,” as well as other victims and their representation, “he can’t ignore the court.”

Boies is representing Giuffre in the civil suit she filed Monday against Andrew in New York. Giuffre alleges that she was trafficked by the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his assistant, Ghislaine Maxwell, and was then sexually abused by the prince on three separate occasions when she was 17.

Virginia Giuffre (left) and her lawyer, David Boies (right), arriving for hearing in the criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein in August 2019, shortly after Epstein's suicide.
Virginia Giuffre (left) and her lawyer, David Boies (right), arriving for hearing in the criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein in August 2019, shortly after Epstein's suicide.
Shannon Stapleton via Reuters

“During each of the aforementioned incidents, Plaintiff was compelled by express or implied threats by Epstein, Maxwell, and/or Prince Andrew to engage in sexual acts with Prince Andrew,” the lawsuit states, explaining that Giuffre “feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions for disobeying Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew due to their powerful connections, wealth, and authority.”

Giuffre, now 38, said in a statement to ABC News on Monday that she is “holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me.”

“The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions,” she said. “I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but to reclaim one’s life by speaking out and demanding justice.”

Spokespeople for Andrew and Buckingham Palace have repeatedly denied any and all allegations over the years. During a 2019 interview with BBC’s “Newsnight” concerning the royal’s ties to Epstein, Andrew again denied the accusations and said that he has “no recollection” of even meeting Giuffre.

Shortly after the disastrous interview and the backlash it drew, the duke stepped back from public life “for the foreseeable future.” He then made his public promise to help authorities in their investigations of Epstein, saying, “I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”

Prince Andrew in 2011.
Prince Andrew in 2011.
Dan Kitwood via Getty Images

Geoffrey S. Berman, who was U.S. attorney in Manhattan at the time, said in 2020 that the royal was trying to “falsely portray himself to the public as eager and willing to cooperate,” which Andrew’s legal team denied at the time.

As of publication time, the Duke of York, his legal team, and Buckingham Palace had not publicly issued a response to Giuffre’s lawsuit.

On Wednesday, the prince was seen arriving at Balmoral — the Scotland estate frequented by his mother, according to the Daily Mail. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson ― who has her own ties to Epstein ― accompanied him.

The queen has not commented on the matter, though she publicly supported Andrew by being photographed on a horseback ride with him days after he stepped back from royal duties in 2019.

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