Grenadier Guards officers are ‘uncomfortable’ at having to drink to the health of Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew could be forced to quit up to nine military roles as legal action against him comes to a head this month and growing anger about his ‘toxic’ friendship with convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.   

The Duke of York has reportedly not been at a single military event since he stepped back from royal duties two years ago over allegations he had sex three times with one of Jeffrey Epstein’s young ‘slaves’.

This afternoon a legal document the Duke of York’s lawyer believes will stop the civil sex lawsuit against the royal is expected to be unsealed and made public. A hearing will then be held tomorrow. 

If he fails to get Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s civil case against him thrown out of a New York court this week, military chiefs have said that it could be time for him to go. 

On Friday he suffered a setback in his US sex case, after his lawyers admitted he has no proof over his notorious claim he cannot sweat after serving in the Falklands, as he said in a car crash Newsnight interview two years ago when denying her allegations. 

In his Newsnight interview he also told interviewer Emily Maitlis that on the date Miss Roberts says they slept together in London, he was at a Pizza Express in Woking. He has been told to prove this too.

One source told the Daily Express: ‘Events are moving very quickly. The Duke of York could be forced to give up all of his military titles in a matter of weeks’, adding that Andrew’s friendship with Maxwell and Epstein was ‘toxic’ and made his position ‘untenable’. 

The final decision on military titles falls to the Queen, but military insiders hope he will quit to avoid being sacked by his mother.

Today it also emerged the Grenadier Guards officers ‘are uncomfortable having to drink to the health of Prince Andrew at the end of regimental dinners’ – as the first veteran goes on the record saying he should step down as regiment’s Colonel ahead of key court battle in New York.   

Former lance sergeant and three-time veteran of Afghanistan, Julian Perreira said: ‘Being allowed to retain his role as colonel of the Grenadier Guards and other military titles, Prince Andrew will put a stain on the regiment’s proud history and will devalue the hard work of past and future generations of Grenadiers. He must step down immediately.’

‘Prince Andrew will put a stain on the regiment’s proud history’ said veteran Julian Perreira

The Duke of York, in his role as colonel of the Grenadier Guards, lays a wreath at the Charles II memorial in Bruges in 2019

Prince Andrew, 61, inherited his ceremonial role as colonel of the Grenadier Guards regiment from his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 2017.

He is now facing renewed pressure to give up his military titles after his former friend Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of child sex-trafficking for her partner sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, The Times reports. 

It is the latest blow for the beleaguered Duke of York, who has staunchly denied claims by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, 38, that she was forced to have sex with him on three occasions in 2001 while she was held as a teenage sex slave by Epstein.

Ms Roberts’ civil claim against the duke is expected to reaching a turning point tomorrow, when a New York court unseals a confidential 2009 deal between Epstein and the alleged victim.

Prince Andrew’s lawyers are hopeful that Ms Roberts’ agreement with Epstein could block her civil lawsuit, as they insist its terms protect him from any litigation. Federal judges said they can see no reason why the agreement should remain private.  

The duke, who famously served in the Falklands in 1982, holds a total of nine military titles which may only be withdrawn by the Queen. 

Retired colonel Richard Kemp said: ‘If she decides it would be right for Andrew to forfeit his military titles she will do so, putting her duty to the forces above any family considerations or personal views.’ 

In August, the Queen apparently ‘let it be known’ that she wanted the Duke of York to continue as colonel of the Grenadier Guards, even though he has largely cut back from other royal duties.  

Prince Andrew’s lawyers are hopeful that Virginia Roberts’ 2009 agreement with Jeffrey Epstein – set to be unsealed tomorrow – could block any further litigation

In August, the Queen apparently ‘let it be known’ that she wanted the Duke of York to continue as colonel of the Grenadier Guards

The Sunday Times reported today that royal courtiers had discussed proposals to stop the prince using his royal title if he loses the civil lawsuit brought by Ms Roberts. 

Such a move would also likely sever the prince’s remaining links to various charities and lead to a possible ‘internal exile’.

On Friday, the prince’s effort to block Ms Roberts’ lawsuit on the grounds that she no longer lives in the US was rejected by a federal judge.

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, in a written order, told the prince’s lawyers they must turn over documents on the schedule that has been set in the lawsuit brought by Ms Roberts.

She says she was abused by the prince on multiple occasions in 2001 while she was being sexually abused by financier Jeffrey Epstein. The prince’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, called the lawsuit ‘baseless.’

EXCLUSIVE: Prince Andrew has been driving brand new £80,000 Range Rover around Windsor estate amid multi-million legal battle with sex assault accuser Virginia Roberts

Prince Andrew has been pictured driving a brand new Range Rover as his multi-million legal battle with Virginia Roberts heats up.

The Duke of York has taken the £80,000 Sport PHEV around the grounds of Windsor Castle since it was issued last month.

The royal opted for a green hybrid model with a 2L engine and 25 miles of range on the electric plug-in – about the distance from his home to Buckingham Palace.

It comes as his legal fight with Ms Roberts hots up as a judge denied a motion from his lawyers to halt the case while an issue of where his accuser lives is dealt with.

Judge Lewis Kaplan denied Andrew’s lawyers’ request, stating Ms Giuffre’s legal team are due to respond to request for documents on her domicile by January 14.

Meanwhile the Prince is facing calls to step away from his military titles and charities amid the furore of the lawsuit.

Other ideas allegedly being considered by the Royal household include sending the Duke into some form of ‘internal exile’.

MailOnline has asked Jaguar Land Rover whether the new vehicle was a gift.

The Duke of York has been driving the £80,000 Sport PHEV around the grounds of Windsor Castle since it was issued last month

The royal opted for a green hybrid model with a 2L engine and 25 miles of range on the electric plug-in – about the distance from his home to Buckingham Palace

The Royal, who usually drives while his security sit in the passenger seats, last took a trip in it on New Year’s Eve

The Prince has been spotted parading his new Range Rover around the grounds of Windsor Castle over the last few weeks.

The Royal, who usually drives while his security sit in the passenger seats, last took a trip in it on New Year’s Eve.

He led a two-car convoy of his car and a Land Rover Discovery from his home at Royal Lodge to see the Queen at Windsor Castle for lunch.

The Range Rover, which has a private number plate based on his Royal title, is dark green with tinted windows.

It was first issued in December, it was insured in the same month and was built earlier in the year.

The luxury car is worth about £80,000 but his may have been more depending on the extras included.

They can reach speeds of up to 137mph and also accelerate from 0mph to 60mph in just 6.3 seconds.

The off-roader has a combined electric and fuel engine, meaning it can switch to petrol when the electric motor runs out of charge.

Using both of these will give the vehicle about 73 miles per gallon before he would need to top up.

But the cars take a while to charge, with a normal home cable that comes with it taking 7.5 hours to recharge. The Duke’s team has been approached for comment.

He led a two-car convoy of his car and a Land Rover Discovery from his home at Royal Lodge to see the Queen at Windsor Castle for lunch

The Range Rover, which has a private number plate based on his Royal title, is dark green with tinted windows

Pictured: Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2001

Earlier this week Andrew’s lawyers called for the case against the royal in the US to be stopped because Ms Roberts is ‘actually domiciled in Australia’.

Ms Roberts is suing Andrew for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager.

But Judge Lewis Kaplan, in a ruling in New York dated December 31, denied Andrew’s lawyers’ request, stating that Ms Giuffre’s legal team has previously received ‘at least one comprehensive request for documents relating to her domicile, to which responses are due, and have been promised, by January 14’.

The judge added his ruling was being made ‘without determining the merit, or lack of merit’ of an assertion by Ms Giuffre’s team that Andrew’s lawyers’ motion was ‘a transparent attempt to delay discovery into his own documents and testimony’.

Ms Giuffre claims she was trafficked by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with Andrew.

She was pictured with the royal and his friend Ghislaine Maxwell during the period the alleged intercourse took place.

Ms Giuffre has alleged in the past she had sex with Andrew in London and New York when she was aged 17, a minor under US law, and again aged 18 on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein where an orgy took place.

Andrew has denied all the allegations.

Oral arguments via a video teleconference on the prince’s request to dismiss the case are scheduled for Monday in the US.

Maxwell, 60, was convicted in the US on Wednesday of helping to entice vulnerable teenagers to the properties of Epstein, her former boyfriend, for him to sexually abuse between 1994 and 2004.

She was labelled ‘dangerous’ by the prosecution and faces the rest of her life in jail.

Her friendship with Andrew has seen renewed scrutiny of Ms Giuffre’s civil claim for damages against the duke.

Andrew was photographed, for the first time since Maxwell’s conviction, driving himself in a Range Rover towards Windsor Castle at lunchtime on Friday.

But on Sunday he faced fresh pressure to cut his ties with the military and charities amid the sex assault saga.

The Duke stepped down from public duties in November 2019 ‘for the foreseeable future’ over his friendship with Epstein.

A source said: ‘If [Prince Andrew] loses the case, the question is what do you do with him?

‘You can’t make him resign like you would a normal person but he would be asked to put his dukedom into abeyance.’

Royal insiders said it would be difficult to persuade the Queen to remove the title of Duke of York as ‘it was held by her father, George VI, before he became king.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said with regard to claims the Duke might lose his title: ‘This is speculation and the comments are without foundation. We would not comment on an ongoing legal matter.’