PRINCE ANDREW will face a civil trial over allegations that he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre after a New York judge rejected his bid to have the case dismissed. 

Ms Giuffre, the accuser of billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, is suing the Duke of York for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17. 

The prince’s lawyers had argued earlier this month that the case should be thrown out as Ms Giuffre had waived her right to sue anyone in connection to Epstein during her 2009 settlement with the dead financier. 

But on Wednesday, Manhattan federal court judge Lewis Kaplan rejected the bid, meaning the civil case can now proceed. 

Explaining why he rejected the prince’s motion to dismiss, the judge said that it was too early to consider the royal’s efforts to cast doubt on Ms Giuffre’s accusations. 

He continued: “In a similar vein and for similar reasons, it is not open to the court now to decide, as a matter of fact, just what the parties to the release in the 2009 settlement agreement signed by Ms Giuffre and Jeffrey Epstein actually meant.

“The court’s job at this juncture is simply to determine whether there are two or more reasonable interpretations of that document. If there are, the determination of the ‘right’ or controlling interpretation must await further proceedings.”

He added: “Moreover, the defendant’s assertion that he cannot reasonably prepare a response to the plaintiff’s allegations plainly contradicts the content of his moving papers, in which he denies Ms Giuffre’s allegations in no uncertain terms.”

Ms Giuffre claims that she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with Andrew when she was aged 17 and a minor under US law.

The duke has vehemently denied the allegations.