“At this juncture in the proceedings, these lurid details are unnecessary. These unnecessary details shall be stricken,” Judge Kenneth Marra wrote in his order today in the US.
In December last year, Virginia Roberts alleged in court documents that she was forced by former financier Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with Andrew three times between 1999 and 2002.
Prince Andrew and Buckingham Palace have strongly denied the allegations.
“Any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue,” they said in a statement at the time the claims went public. “It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.”
Speaking at the World Economic Forum reception in Davos, Switzerland, the Prince “reiterated” the denials already issued by Buckingham Palace.
“I just wish to reiterate and to reaffirm the statements that have already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace,” he said.
Prince Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, had also spoken out in his defence on multiple occasions.
She initially defended his character from on holiday in Switzerland, saying: “He’s the best man there is.”
Fergie then took the extra step of passionately defending Andrew live on American television, labelling the allegations “salacious lies” and defending him as a “humongously good man” during an interview on the US Today show.
