Prince Andrew Summoned as Witness in Civil Fraud Trial, First Royal in 150 Years to Face Subpoena

Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has been summoned to testify as a witness in a civil fraud trial at London’s High Court — marking the first time in over 150 years that a member of the British royal family has been served with a witness summons, according to British media reports.

The development follows a ruling last month granting permission for the King’s younger brother to be called to give evidence regarding payments he allegedly received from parties involved in the case. Mountbatten-Windsor may seek to have the summons set aside, meaning his testimony is not guaranteed.

The lawsuit was filed by Turkish national Nebahat Evyap Isbilen, who alleges that her former adviser, Selman Turk, misappropriated tens of millions of pounds of her funds. As part of her claim, Isbilen contends that Turk misled her into authorizing a £750,000 (approximately $1 million) payment to Mountbatten-Windsor in 2019. The Duke of York repaid the sum in 2021 and is not a defendant in the proceedings.

Turk asserts that Isbilen approved the payment in the hope that Mountbatten-Windsor could leverage his connections to assist her husband, who has been imprisoned in Turkey since 2015. Isbilen maintains her husband is the victim of political persecution.

Legal representatives for Isbilen indicated last month that this represents the first witness summons issued to a royal since 1870, when the future King Edward VII — then the Prince of Wales — testified in a divorce case brought by Sir Charles Mordaunt. The prince appeared voluntarily and denied any improper relationship with Lady Mordaunt.

Separately, Mountbatten-Windsor continues to face scrutiny over his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Multiple British police forces launched investigations after the U.S. Department of Justice released extensive documentation from its Epstein inquiry earlier this year. King Charles III removed his brother’s royal titles and military patronages in 2022 amid the ongoing controversy.

Source link