A US judge has ruled that the Duke of York needs to make himself available for questioning by July 14. The civil lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre will likely keep Andrew tied up for much of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year. The Queen, who is bankrolling Andrew's legal defence, is yet to confirm whether her second son will be asked to take part in the official celebrations of her 70 years on the throne.

       US District Judge Lewis Kaplan set the time limit for questions under oath in a series of deadlines to complete depositions in a scheduling order agreed to by lawyers for Andrew and Ms Giuffre, 38.

       Formerly known asVirginia Roberts, she is suing Andrew, 61, after claiming she was trafficked to London by the financier Jeffrey Epstein and forced to have sex with the Duke when she was 17.

       Andrew has categorically denied her allegations or any wrongdoing and insists he has no recollection of ever meeting her.The