Ms Giuffre, previously Roberts, is suing the Duke of York, claiming he committed "sexual assault" upon her when she was a teenager, while he vehemently denies wrongdoing. His lawyers argued she waived her right to the suit in 2009 when she signed a $500,000 settlement agreement with Epstein. But US judge Lewis Kaplan has dismissed the motion to have the case thrown out on a technicality, meaning it may now move forward.

       Several stages in the legal battle lie ahead of both the Duke and Ms Giuffre.

       Now the judge has blocked the attempt by the Prince's legal council to throw the case the next step is a deposition, according to former federal prosecutor Sarah Krissoff.

       She said she "expected" the case to proceed, and the two parties would now exchange information.

       READ MORE: Prince Andrew news LIVE: Duke could STILL appeal sex case trial ruling

       Then, she explained, each legal counsel would have an opportunity to depose the plaintiff (Ms Giuffre) and defendant (Prince Andrew).

       During a deposition, key figures in a case provide out-of-court sworn testimony under oath about vital aspects of the case.

       Each figure called to testify will "give evidence regarding their perception of what happened", Ms Krissoff said.

       A deposition is an aspect of discovery - the process of fact-finding for a case - that takes place before a trial.

       The forthcoming trial, unlike those of Epstein and Maxwell, is a civil suit.

       The Duke has not been charged with a criminal offence, and Ms Giuffre is seeking monetary damages.

       She alleges they met for a sexual encounter in a London nightclub, where he was "sweating profusely" on her.

       Prince Andrew countered her allegations by notably denying he could sweat at the time and that he was not at the specified location on the night in question.

       During an interview with the BBC in November 2019, he claimed to have a "peculiar medical condition" that meant he couldn't sweat at the time.

       In the same interview, he added the disorder came from trauma sustained during the Falklands War.

       Additionally, on the night in question, he said he was with his daughter, Princess Beatrice, at a children's party at Pizza Express Woking.

       Ms Giuffre's counsel has requested documents proving the Prince could not sweat at the time.