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The lawsuit was settled seven years ago. But on January 3, Prince Andrew<\/strong> found himself in hot water when a U.S. District Court unsealed documents from a 2015 case against Ghislaine Maxwell<\/strong> \u2014 who\u2019s currently incarcerated for sex-trafficking young girls with late, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. In the cache, it is alleged the Duke of York had sex with a minor on multiple occasions, groped another woman\u2019s breast during a photo op, was secretly filmed having intercourse and more during his and Epstein\u2019s sordid friendship.<\/p>\n While none of it paints Andrew in a positive light, most of the claims had actually been leaked before, with the 63-year-old always maintaining his innocence. Still, the fresh PR nightmare has King Charles III<\/strong><\/a>, 75, and Prince William<\/strong>, 41, reevaluating Andrew\u2019s place in the royal family<\/a>. \u201cAndrew thought he was back in their good graces, but the newly released documents have changed everything,\u201d says an insider. \u201cHe\u2019s public enemy No. 1, and there\u2019s talk of throwing him out of the palace once and for all.\u201d<\/p>\n Prior to her death, Queen Elizabeth II stripped Andrew of his military titles and patronage, and the duke stepped back from official duties after his controversial connection to pedophile Epstein made headlines. As time passed, however, Andrew \u2014 who begrudgingly settled a sexual assault suit filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre<\/strong> for an estimated $16 million in 2022 \u2014 was spotted back at royal events<\/a>, most recently joining his relatives for their annual Christmas Day photo this past December. He also continues to reside at Royal Lodge in Windsor, for which the security bill alone is believed to cost nearly $4 million a year.<\/p>\n \u201cThough Andrew is family, and there\u2019s a loyalty factor, it\u2019s not a good look to keep supporting him,\u201d observes the insider. \u201cCharles and William are mulling over what exactly to do. But the growing sense is that the royals need to make a clean break, taking away Andrew\u2019s home and every last one of his royal privileges. It\u2019s a very messy situation, but something has to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n So perhaps it\u2019s no surprise Andrew looked tense as he drove away from Royal Lodge in his Range Rover on January 9. \u201cHe\u2019d just had a wonderful Christmas with the family. Even Charles was being friendly,\u201d says the insider. \u201cNow, his calls are not being returned, and he\u2019s getting the cold shoulder again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nKicked to the Curb?<\/h2>\n