The Duke of York has been pictured for the first time since a New York judge made a ruling on the civil lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Giuffre.
The Queen's second son, 61, was seen sitting in the back seat of a Range Rover as he was driven from his home at Royal Lodge in Windsor on Thursday.
It comes after US Judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed a notion by Prince Andrew's lawyers to have the civil case thrown out after they argued Ms. Giuffre had waived her right to pursue the Duke by signing a confidential settlement with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
It now means the Duke will face a civil sex case trial.
READ: Prince Andrew can be sued by Virginia Giuffre for sexual assault, says court
WATCH: Prince Andrew civil case - what happens next?
In the conclusion of his written ruling, Judge Kaplan said: "For the foregoing reasons, defendant's motion to dismiss the complaint or for a more definite statement is denied in all respects. Given the court's limited task of ruling on this motion, nothing in this opinion or previously in these proceedings properly may be construed as indicating a view with respect to the truth of the charges or countercharges or as to the intention of the parties in entering into the 2009 Agreement."
© Photo: RexAndrew was pictured in the back of the car as he left his Windsor home
Ms. Giuffre is suing the Duke for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. She is seeking unspecified damages, but there is speculation the sum could be in the millions of dollars.
She claims she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with Andrew when she was aged 17 and a minor under US law.
MORE: Prince Andrew served with civil lawsuit by Virginia Giuffre
MORE: Prince Charles takes over Prince Andrew's royal role after he steps back from duties
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Duke stepped down from royal duties in 2019
The Duke has vehemently denied the allegations and his legal team have argued from the first hearing into the lawsuit the case was "baseless".
Andrew stepped back from public duties in November 2019, following his TV interview with BBC Newsnight, which focused on his connections to Epstein.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said on Wednesday: "We would not comment on what is an ongoing legal matter."
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