Prince Andrew's questionable private life has been splashed across the front pages for years, but the latest round of once secret court files could be the final nail in his PR coffin.
Hundreds of court documents, related to a 2015 defamation case brought by Prince Andrew's accuser, Virginia Giuffre, against the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, have been publicly released for the first time this week.
So far, the files contain no new bombshell allegations against The King's brother, but do contain interviews conducted under oath, written testimony and email exchanges - all adding to the headache for Buckingham Palace.
Virginia Giuffre claims she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein to Prince Andrew in 2001, and forced to have sex with him three times.
Prince Andrew celebrating Christmas with the Royal Family in 2023
Getty
Once in New York, once in London, and once on Epstein's private Caribbean island in an orgy with other underaged girls.
Prince Andrew has always denied the allegations made against him, and paid millions of dollars to Ms Giuffre in an out-of-court civil settlement in 2022.
In his now infamous Newsnight interview, The Prince also claimed to have never met Ms Giuffre.
Following his out-of-court settlement, Queen Elizabeth II stripped him of his military titles and royal patronages, and he agreed to no longer use his HRH status.
A second alleged victim, Johanna Sjoberg, claims Prince Andrew put his hand on her breast while posing with a Spitting Image puppet of himself in Epstein's New York mansion.
Prince Andrew reuniting with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson at Sandringham
PA
When the allegation first surfaced in 2016, Buckingham Palace said the claim was "categorically untrue".
So if we knew all this already, why does it matter now?
The Metropolitan Police have decided not to launch an investigation at this stage, suggesting no new evidence had come to light.
But Prince Andrew's popularity remains at an all-time low, and the 'court of public opinion' delivered its damning verdict long ago.
Despite the imminent release of court documents, The King chose to invite his brother to take part in the public Christmas Day walk to church at Sandringham with the extended Royal Family.
Prince Andrew was one of the high-profile figures named in the trove of previously unreleased documentsPAThe disgraced Duke was on full public display, suggesting His Majesty supports his brother, which has led to some criticism.
On the one hand, the Christmas Day walk is, and always has been, a private family event.
Although Prince Andrew is no longer a working royal, he has the right to take part in the private activities of the Windsor family.
Perhaps the late Queen, Prince Andrew's mother, wanted Charles to look after his younger brother when she was gone.
Arguably, the Royal Family have gone as far as they can in dealing with the 'Andrew problem'.
He has no public role, receives no public income and rarely appears in public.
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Prince Andrew was pressured to step down as a working royal in 2019 due to his affiliations with EpsteinPABut Andrew's appearances at Sandringham this Christmas, and at Balmoral in August 2023 in a reported "public statement of togetherness", will undoubtedly raise eyebrows.
The Duke of York's living situation remains the biggest question mark; it has been widely reported he cannot afford the upkeep of his 30 room Royal Lodge home on the Windsor Estate - which he shares with his ex wife, Sarah Ferguson.
The Daily Mail reports the release of new court documents in the United States have "crystalised" the King's wish to speed up the process of moving his brother to a smaller property, with smaller upkeep and security costs.
Prince Andrew could see this as an even more humiliating demotion than the one he has already endured.
He may well have no choice, however, and could be forced to live out his retirement in quiet reflection and solitude - a shadow of the former Falklands War hero who was once a symbol of national pride.
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.
