Prince Andrew may be selling his £18million ski chalet to protect his assets rather than pay off his sex abuse accuser, US lawyers have said.
Earlier this month, sources close to the Duke confirmed that the sale of the property in the exclusive Swiss ski resort of Verbier is 'proceeding' after a mystery buyer agreed to take it off his hands.
Andrew was only able to sell the residence, called Chalet Helora, after settling a £6.6million debt to French socialite Isabelle de Rouvre, 74, who sold it to him and Sarah Ferguson in 2014 also for £18million.
The deal led to speculation that he would use the money to pay his legal bills as he faces a lawsuit from Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked to have sex with him by paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
But Spencer Kuvin, who represented the victims of Epstein, believes the sale could actually be designed to prevent Giuffre from seizing the Duke's assets.
Prince Andrew may be selling his £18million ski chalet to protect his assets rather than pay off his sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre (both pictured in 2001), US lawyers have said
The lawyer told the Mirror: 'If Virginia gets a judgment against Andrew, if this went all the way through to trial and she received a financial judgment in her favour, she could execute on any properties he has, the most likely being his ski chalet.
'If Andrew had properties in any companion country that would abide by such jurisdiction of the US, she can execute on those properties.'
He added: 'If the Queen has transferred any property to him, anywhere throughout the entire world, they could try and execute on that property if successful in foreign courts.'
Andrew and Fergie agreed with Ms de Rouvre that the
