THE latest twist in Prince Andrew’s legal battle with Virginia Giuffre - the woman who alleges that he had sex with her while she was a minor - may be near after US judges ordered the release of a settlement agreement between Giuffre and Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in custody in 2019, reached a settlement agreement with Giuffre in 2009. According to Andrew’s lawyers, this agreement saw Giuffre agree not to sue anyone else linked to Epstein after she settled her damages claim against him.

The prince's lawyer, Andrew Brettler, has said that the settlement releases the Duke of York from any liability as it covered “royalty”.

However, Giuffre's lawyer, David Boies, said the settlement applied "at most" to people involved in underlying litigation in Florida, where Epstein had a home, and that Prince Andrew should not use it as a "get out of jail free card”.

In a joint order on Wednesday, US District Judges Lewis Kaplan and Loretta Preska in Manhattan ordered the agreement's release on or about January 3, 2022, finding no reason to keep it under seal.

The text of the agreement will have a direct impact on the Duke of York’s case.

Giuffre’s lawsuit accuses Prince Andrew of forcing her to have sex when she was under 18 at the London home of former Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and abusing her at two of Epstein's homes.

The Duke of York has denied all of the allegations and has not been charged with any crimes. Giuffre is seeking unspecified damages.

On Wednesday, Maxwell was found guilty of several charges linked to the sex trafficking of minors and is facing spending the rest of her life in prison.

Prince Andrew’s lawyers have also previously tried to get the case against him thrown out as Giuffre is “domiciled in Australia”.