The U.S. attorneys for Prince Andrew have received the sexual assault lawsuit, according to court filings.

>> Read more trending news

Legal paperwork submitted to the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Virginia Giuffre’s lawyers said they have sent her civil suit against the prince to his lawyer Andrew Brettler by email and FedEx. Both were received by Monday morning, Reuters reported.

Prince Andrew has 21 days to respond. If he doesn’t, a judge could issue a default judgment.

Her lawyers had attempted to serve him the documents at his residence, Royal Lodge in Windsor recently, Sky News Reported. Giuffre’s lawyers had asked District Judge Lewis Kaplan to intervene in the process, saying the prince was playing a “game of hide and seek behind palace walls.” The lawsuit had been left with a guard at the Royal Lodge.

Giuffre claims she was forced to have sex about two decades ago when she was 17 with the Duke of York at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, Reuters reported. She also claims she had sex with Prince Andrew at Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands and at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion, The Telegraph reported.

Epstein had been convicted and had to register as a sex offender, but killed himself in August 2019 when he was jailed awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Maxwell is in jail awaiting trial on charges after being accused of helping recruit and groom underage girls for Epstein. She has pleaded not guilty.

Andrew has not been charged with a crime. Giuffre is suing the duke in civil court and she’s seeking unspecified damages, Reuters reported.

The prince has not given a legal response to Giuffre’s civil suit, The Telegraph reported.

Prince Andrew is supposedly staying at the Queen’s estate in Scotland, Balmoral, Sky News reported.

The next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 13.

©2021 Cox Media Group