Virginia Giuffre’s lawyer suggests calling Meghan Markle to testify in Prince Andrew case
Meghan Markle ‘is in a position to perhaps have seen what he did,’ says lawyer David Boies
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Meghan Markle may be called to depose over legal action against Prince Andrew, said the lawyer of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who has accused the prince of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.
Ms Markle could have some “important knowledge,” David Boies, the attorney representing Ms Giuffre, told The Daily Beast on Tuesday.
Mr Boies said he might seek to depose Ms Markle as part of the civil suit slapped against the prince by Ms Giuffre and said he believed Ms Markle could be expected to “tell the truth.”
“She is somebody we can count on to tell the truth,” Mr Boies said. He also believed that she might have picked up some “important knowledge” about the royal’s behaviour.
He said Ms Markle was a “close companion to Prince Andrew and therefore probably saw what he did.”
He also cited three reasons for Ms Markle to be a potential deposition subject.
“One; she is in the US so we have jurisdiction over her. Two; she is somebody who obviously, at least for a period of time, was a close associate of Prince Andrew and hence is in a position to perhaps have seen what he did, and perhaps if not to have seen what he did to have heard people talk about it. Because of her past association with him, she may very well have important knowledge, and will certainly have some knowledge.”
“Three; she is somebody who we can count on, to tell the truth. She checks all three boxes,” the lawyer added.
Ms Giuffre is suing the prince over claims she was forced to have sex with him when she was 17 years old. The prince, however, has denied all allegations.
Mr Boies confirmed “we would likely take one or two depositions of people close to Andrew who would have knowledge of his actions. That might include his ex-wife. It could possibly be his brother.”
However, the star attorney said no firm decision has been taken regarding Ms Markle’s deposition yet.
Mr Boies ruled out asking Prince Andrew’s mother to depose.
“I don’t think, out of respect and deference, and her age, we would seek to depose the Queen. I don’t think she is going to have any knowledge that other people don’t have. I think that he is unlikely to have spoken as freely to his mother about some of this stuff as he might have to his contemporaries or his ex-wife.”