today brushed off questions about his exiled brother Andrew, amid reports the disgraced duke could find out this weekend whether Fergie and his daughters will be questioned by Virginia Giuffre’s lawyers.
The heir to the throne refused to speak about the crisis engulfing the Windsors after a US judge refused to throw out Andrew’s sex assault case and said it would proceed to trial.
Charles, known as the Duke of Rothesay when in Scotland, was asked about the scandal while visiting the Haddo Country Park, Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
Sky News correspondent James Matthews asked: ‘Can I ask your view on your brother’s position?’.
But Charles – who is said to have played a key part in the decision to strip his brother of his military titles, patronages and use of the HRH title – would not be drawn, instead continuing to speak to individuals impacted by Storm Arwen in late November.
Andrew’s legal team are expecting to find out, possible as soon as this weekend, which members of his family will be asked to give evidence under oath, reported.
Ms Giuffre’s lawyer David Boies has been described as the ‘great deposition taker’ in modern America, and has already indicated he might question Sarah, the Duchess of York, and her daughters Princess Beatrice and Universitas Alma Ata Eugenie.
They are likely to be quizzed about Andrew’s alibi for the night in 2001 when Ms Giuffre, allegedly one of Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘sex slaves’, said she slept with the prince in Ghislaine Maxwell’s home after they had been dancing together at Tramp, a high-end London nightclub.
In a brutal two-line statement released last night, confirmed he would have to fight the case ‘as a private citizen’.
Prince Charles laughs in Aberdeenshire today as he surveyed storm damage from before Christmas
The Prince of Wales (centre), known as the Duke of Rothesay when in Scotland, during his visit to Haddo Country Park, Ellon, Aberdeenshire, to view the devastation caused by Storm Arwen
Princess Beatrice was pictured out shopping with her baby Sienna on King’s Road in London’s exclusive Chelsea district yesterday, on the same day her disgraced father was stripped of royal HRH title
Charles was meeting people locally who supported local communities in the aftermath
Charles, who was said to be instrumental in the decision to make Andrew a ‘private citizen’, declined to comment on the crisis
The Queen last night cast Prince Andrew out of the Royal Family, stripping him of all his military titles and patronages
In a brutal two-line statement Buckingham Palace also forced him to drop his HRH title and dashed his hopes of resuming public duties
Buckingham Palace said in a statement this afternoon, which read: ‘With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen’