Prince Andrew has been granted access to a sealed document his lawyers believe could help end the sexual abuse case being brought by Virginia Giuffre.
A US judge gave permission for the agreement between Ms Giuffre and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to be shared with the prince's lawyers.
Ms Giuffre's lawyers had made the offer to release the document but believe it will be "irrelevant" to the civil case.
The Duke of York, 61, has consistently denied Ms Giuffre's allegations.
Ms Giuffre, 38, claims she was sexually assaulted by the prince at three locations including New York City.
Andrew B Brettler, who represents Prince Andrew, had argued at a previous hearing that Ms Giuffre had entered into a "settlement agreement" with Epstein that would end her current legal action,
During the first pre-trial hearing of the case last month, Prince Andrew's lawyer said the agreement "releases the duke and others from any and all potential liability".
The prince's lawyers have said in court that Ms Giuffre agreed in 2009 not to sue anyone else connected to Epstein when she settled her damages claim against the billionaire sex offender, who died in prison in 2019.
The precise wording of that deal is currently confidential - sealed by a court.
In a court document filed on Wednesday, US Judge Loretta Preska agreed to a request from Ms Giuffre's lawyer, David Boies, to provide the duke's legal team with the document.
Mr Boies previously said about the document: "Although we believe that the release is irrelevant to the case against Prince Andrew, now that service has been accepted and the case is proceeding to a determination on the merits, we believe that counsel for Prince Andrew have a right to review the release and to make whatever arguments they believe appropriate based on it."
Then known as Virginia Roberts, Ms Guiffre claims she was assaulted by the prince at the London home of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and at Epstein's homes in Manhattan and Little Saint James, in the US Virgin Islands.
Her case claims Prince Andrew engaged in sexual acts without Ms Giuffre's consent, including when she was 17, knowing how old she was, and "that she was a sex-trafficking victim".
The prince has consistently denied the claims and, in 2019, told BBC Two's Newsnight programme: "It didn't happen."
Latest Stories
-
Gladys Bosco sings about hope in ‘Me Ewurade Bra’
7 mins -
Accra High Court refuses requests to compel Akufo-Addo to receive Anti-LGBTQ+ bill
18 mins -
I almost took my life – Fella Makafui
25 mins -
The emergence of the future: Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang
29 mins -
Knowing when to mute the mic: Kwasi Kwarteng’s choking example on ‘Blue and White’
42 mins -
R. Kelly’s sex abuse conviction in Chicago upheld in appeals court
56 mins -
Azumah Nelson returns to the ring to face EU Ambassador in a match to empower youth
1 hour -
UEFA U-16 Tournament: Black Starlets come from behind to beat Kazakhstan 5-1 in final game
1 hour -
Every worker in Ghana must be concerned about ILO’s report on SSNIT – GNAT President
1 hour -
Amerado falls after stage collapses during performance
1 hour -
Akosombo Dam: JoyNews highlights victims’ harsh living conditions post-spillage
1 hour -
World Safety Day: Zoomlion addresses the impact of climate change on occupational safety
2 hours -
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs seeks to toss portion of sexual assault civil suit
2 hours -
We’ve saved $57.9m from procurement of BVDs, BVRs – EC insists
2 hours -
Catholics hail Bawumia for religious diversity after visit to Pope Francis
2 hours