Prince Andrew has been coming under fire as pressure mounts over Virginia Giuffre's accusations that she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in order to have sex with the Duke of York when she was underage. The Duke of York has repeatedly and vehemently denied the allegations, instructing his legal team to argue a deal Ms Giuffre struck with Epstein would free him from liability. Litigator Moira Penza claimed the strategy could prove to be "very risky" and cause a substantial "optics" issue for both the Duke and the Royal Family.

       Ms Penza told BBC Newsnight: "Well, you can understand why his attorneys would basically make any attempt at this point to try and have the case dismissed.

       "But it certainly is a very risky strategy.

       "Here they have tried to really attack Ms Giuffre in the media in their court filings.

       "And then here they essentially have to admit that Prince Andrew was such a close associate of Jeffrey Epstein that he was contemplated as a potential defendant in this settlement agreement.

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       Ms Penza added: "So it really creates an optics problem both before the court.

       "Which of course the court will set aside but also in the public eye."

       Sigrid McCawley, who represents Virginia Giuffre, commented on the verdict of the Maxwell case saying "this verdict told the American public that regardless of power, or privilege, whether you’re a president or a prince, you will be held accountable."

       Ms McCawley added: "What we saw at the trial is a mention of Prince Andrew and people of his stature.

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       "The jury looked at Ghislaine, who has summered at the Queen’s homes and lived a life of incredible privilege associating with those types of people, and yet they disregarded all that.

       "I see a real change in the legal landscape."

       Ms Giuffre welcomed the verdict and said she will now focus on "others who need to be held accountable."

       She said: “Now I can start really working past Maxwell and thinking about the others who need to be held accountable.

       “Epstein and Maxwell took a part of my childhood that I’ll never get back. But let’s just say, it wasn’t just them who participated in this.

       “Justice to me looks like holding all of these people involved in the sex ring, those who greased its wheels, named and shamed.”

       Prince Andrew's lawyers argued in a motion to dismiss Ms Giuffre's lawsuit that the woman herself was "involved in the willful recruitment and trafficking of young girls for sexual abuse."

       Ms Giuffre's former boyfriend Philip Guderyon was quoted in the court document: "She was like the head b***h.

       'She’d have like nine or 10 girls she used to bring to him. She never looked like she was being held captive.”