Prince Andrew is mired in a High Court brawl, amid accusations that he was given more than £1 million on the orders of a former Goldman Sachs banker accused of swindling a woman out of her fortune.
The Duke of York – and Sarah Ferguson, his ex-wife – have been named in a legal case brought by Nebahat Isbilen, who claims she was conned out of £40 million by Salman Turk.
Isbilen said she needed help to get her assets out of Turkey, where her husband is reportedly a political prisoner, and paid a £750,000 “gift” to the Duke – believing she was paying for assistance in getting a payment.
A further payment of £350,000 was allegedly made to Andrew – and £225,000 is believed to have been transferred to his ex-wife.
Dodgy donations
Turk was given a People’s Choice Award in 2019 through Prince Andrew’s Pitch@Palace entrepreneurship programme, in a ceremony at St James’s Palace.
News of the dodgy payments emerged through a ruling by David Halpern QC, sitting as a deputy High Court judge, after a string of orders were made in the case – including a £40 million international freezing order against Turk.
According to the Evening Standard, Isbilen’s lawyer set out “detailed and impressive” statements detailing “serious breaches” by Turk.
The judge cited a firm called Alphabet Capital Ltd, which received “more than £1 million of Mrs Isbilen’s funds” – saying Turk “produced invoices purporting to show transfers for professional fees”.
He added: “The money was used for purposes unconnected with Mrs Isbilen, e.g. substantial sums were paid to Prince Andrew Duke of York, and to Sarah, Duchess of York.”
Andrew has not commented on the court case, and is not accused of involvement with fraud. A spokesman for Ferguson told the Telegraph: “The Duchess was completely unaware of the allegations that have since emerged against Mr Turk. She is naturally concerned by what has been alleged against him.”
It comes after the Duke took a central role escorting the Queen to the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service, raising the prospect of Andrew putting in an appearance during the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
The disgraced royal, who just weeks ago paid millions out of court to settle a civil sexual assault case with a woman he said he had never met, accompanied the monarch to her seat in a shock move in Westminster Abbey on Tuesday.
Front and centre
Andrew had been banished from royal life, first bowing out of royal duties in 2019 after his disastrous Newsnight appearance over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
This January, he was stripped of his honorary military titles and patronages by the Queen, and forced to relinquish using his HRH style amid his legal battle.
Virginia Giuffre was suing him for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after being trafficked by Epstein.
At the time, Buckingham Palace said: “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
But on Tuesday, Andrew was front and centre of Philip’s official memorial service, with his mother holding onto his elbow as they made their way via the shortest route into the Abbey to remember Philip.
If the Jubilee service of thanksgiving in St Paul’s Cathedral on June 3 is considered to be a family occasion, Andrew could be among the congregation, alongside other non-working royals.
Royal expert Joe Little, of Majesty magazine, suggested: “I think he will be there.
“Although the Queen is head of state, she is also head of the family as well and in that capacity all her children should be with her.”
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