Princess Beatrice Won’t Testify In Prince Andrew Sexual Abuse Case: Report

Princess Beatrice, who was previously expected to be called as a key witness, will reportedly not be testifying in her father Prince Andrew's sexual assault civil case.

The disgraced Duke of York had given his 33-year-old daughter as his alibi. He said that they were at Pizza Express in Woking, England at the time he is accused of rape in 2001. As a result, it was speculated that his daughter would be called to the stand as a key witness, reported Evening Standard.

Though Beatrice has been spared from testifying, Andrew’s accuser will be seeking witness accounts from his former assistant and a woman who apparently saw him in Tramp nightclub, according to Daily Mail. The alleged victim's lawyers have requested testimony from a woman called Shukri Walker and Robert Olney, who is Andrew's former equerry. Documents submitted by the legal team of Andrew’s accuser said that Olney's name appears in financier Jeffrey Epstein's phone book under "Duke of York." So, the lawyers think that it is likely Olney has relevant information about Andrew's travel to and from Epstein's properties during the time of the incident.

According to the documents, Walker has stated publicly that she was a witness to the royal's presence at Tramp during the relevant time period with a woman who may have been Andrew’s accuser. The documents said that Walker's testimony would be relevant to this dispute because "plaintiff contends that defendant abused her in London after visiting Tramp together." This point is important as the "defendant denies being at Tramp on the night in question or having ever met Plaintiff."

Amid the case, Andrew faced calls to lose his dukedom and pay for his own security, reported Mirror. Recently, he was stripped of his royal patronages and military affiliations by Queen Elizabeth. They will be redistributed among the Royal Family's other members. One royal source even said that Andrew will never return to performing official duties. As he fades away from public life forever, he will not be using the title of His Royal Highness in any official capacity.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said that the Duke of York is "defending this case as a private citizen."