The recent lawsuit filed against Prince Andrew on the grounds of sexual assault and battery will "further strengthen" Prince Charles's opinion that there is no route back to public life for his brother, according to inside Palace sources. Due to the severity of the allegations, the Prince of Wales will focus on protecting the monarchy and will not risk any further damage. Prince Andrew has consistently denied all allegations made against him.

       A source close to Prince Charles told The Telegraph: "He has long ago concluded that it is probably an unsolvable problem.

       "This will probably further strengthen in the prince's mind that a way back for the duke is demonstrably not possible, because the spectre of this [accusation] raises its head with hideous regularity."

       Prince Andrew's accuser, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, filed the civil case on Tuesday under New York's Child Victims Act.

       Ms Giuffre played an instrumental role in uncovering Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring after she and a number of women came forward to reveal their grooming experiences.

       This led to the arrest of the convicted sex offender in 2019.

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       Ms Giuffre claims that on three occasions she was sexually abused by the Duke of York - once in London at the home of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and twice at Epstein's homes in Manhattan and the US Virgin Islands.

       She has stated that Prince Andrew acted in full awareness of her age and that "she was a victim of sex trafficking".

       At the time of the alleged assault, Ms Giuffre was 17 years old. The legal age of consent in the US Virgin Islands is 18.

       Her lawyers said: "Twenty years ago Prince Andrew's wealth, power, position, and connections enabled him to abuse a frightened, vulnerable child with no one there to protect her. It is long past the time for him to be held to account."

       Whilst there is no current investigation underway with the Met Police, Scotland Yard chief Dame Cressida Dick said there would be a review of the information and warned "No one is above the law".

       Ms Giuffre is now 38 years old and is seeking damages for the "significant emotional and psychological distress and harm" caused by the Duke's actions.

       Prince Andrew has denied all claims, and told BBC journalist Emily Maitlis in 2019: "It didn't happen. I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened. I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever."

       The Duke befriended Jeffrey Epstein in the 1990s and remained friends with the American financier following his 2008 conviction for child prostitution.

       He later terminated the friendship following public backlash, after they were photographed together in New York in 2010.

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       In November 2019, Prince Andrew participated in an interview with BBC Newsnight, to deny the allegations made against him and explain his friendship with Epstein.

       The interview was deemed a 'car crash' after the Duke claimed he was unable to sweat due to an "adrenaline overdose" from the Falklands War and was at Pizza Express in Woking on the date of his said sexual interaction with Ms Giuffre.

       Shortly afterwards, he withdrew from his role as a senior working royal and ceased to represent the Queen at formal engagements. A number of charities and patronages disassociated themselves with the Duke.

       He later released the following statement: "I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein.