PRINCE Andrew is “worried” after the High Court agreed it will serve him papers in the sexual assault civil case filed in the US if necessary, sources say.

At a pre-trial hearing in New York earlier this week, lawyers acting on behalf of Prince Andrew said he hadn’t been properly served the documents linked to the Virginia Roberts Giuffre lawsuit.

Giuffre accuses Andrew of forcing her to sleep with him three times when she was 17 years old. Prince Andrew has always denied the allegations.

She claims she was trafficked by Andrew’s former friend and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with the Duke when she was aged 17 and a minor under US law.

READ MORE: Prince Andrew travels to Scotland as he avoids sexual abuse lawsuit

Giruffre’s lawyers asked the High Court to intervene under the Hague service convention, with the request initially being refused. However after further information was given, the court agreed.

“The legal process has not yet been served but the High Court will now take steps to serve under the convention unless service is arranged by agreement between the parties,” the lawyers explained.

After the decision was confirmed, Prince Andrew was spotted at Balmoral, the Queen’s Scottish residence, where he has been staying in recent weeks.

Sources have now told The Mirror that Andrew’s usual confident mood has shifted in the wake of the news.

“He’s not been his usual blase self, acting like everything is in hand,” an insider said.

“The issue has suddenly become very pressing and there is a distinct tension in the air.

“There has been a dramatic shift in mood and the reality that this could not only go on for many months, if not years, as well as costing potentially millions of pounds is very real.”

Another source close to the prince said Andrew and his team “need to face the fact they need to address this”.

READ MORE: Prince Andrew 'served papers over sexual assault claims', US lawyers say

The Duke of York’s legal team has been given seven days by the High Court to challenge its decision to begin notifying Andrew about the US civil sex case against him.

The High Court said in a statement: “Lawyers for Prince Andrew have indicated that they may seek to challenge the decision of the High Court to recognise the validity of the Hague Convention request for service made by Ms Giuffre’s lawyers.

“The High Court has directed that any challenge must be made by close of business on September 24.”

Prince Andrew told Newsnight in 2019 that he has “no recollection of ever meeting” Giuffre and questioned the authenticity of a picture appearing to show them together in Ghislaine Maxwell’s London home.

Earlier this month billboards showing Prince Andrew alongside the words “no one is above the law” appeared in Scotland.

The billboards, put up by anti-monarchy campaigners Republic, also demand a “democratic alternative to the monarchy”.