Prince Andrew holds ‘crisis talks’ over sex case after ‘disastrous’ week trying to fight claims

Prince Andrew is holding crisis talks with his family and advisers after a ‘disastrous’ week trying to fight sex abuse claims.

Sources claim there may have been a ‘lack of communication and cohesion’ between his UK legal team and newly appointed US lawyer about how to move forwards.

And there is deep concern at the way his well-paid advisers on both sides of the Atlantic have been ‘outwitted and out-played’ at every turn in recent days by David Boies, the street-smart attorney employed by his accuser, Virginia Roberts.

Their attempts to avoid even having papers officially served have been both a legal and a public relations disaster.

Even Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is set to rule on Miss Roberts’s claims of rape, sexual assault and battery, which Andrew has always firmly denied, told his attorney, Andrew B. Brettler, last week: ‘Let’s cut out all the technicalities and get to the substance.’

Sources say they think Andrew may be considering whether to continue to instruct his legal team at London-based Blackfords, who have been working on his defence for the past 18 months.

They are led by Gary Bloxsome, whose decision to insist on a wall of silence against Miss Roberts’s claims has been widely questioned.

Prince Andrew, Virginia Roberts, then 17, and Ghislaine Maxwell pictured in London in 2001

‘It could be very counter-productive to change horses at this stage,’ they said.

But another source close to the duke warned: ‘The decision not to put out any kind of statement, even just to reiterate his denial of the allegations, has seen his reputation shredded in the court of public opinion.

‘I think it’s highly likely we could see some movement on the duke’s strategy at least in the next few days.’ A further New York court hearing is due on October 13.