A judge has denied Prince Andrew’s bid to have Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit against him dismissed based on a settlement she reached with Jeffrey Epstein more than a decade ago.

US District Judge Lewis Kaplan handed down the ruling on Wednesday, more than a week after both sides made their case at a 4 January hearing.

Ms Giuffre is suing Andrew in a civil case in New York alleging she was forced to have sex with Epstein’s friends – including the Duke of York – when she was 17.

Andrew, 61, strongly denies the allegations and has said Ms Giuffre is seeking “another payday at his expense”.

Judge Kaplan was scathing of the royal’s legal efforts attempts to have the lawsuit thrown out in his 46-page decision.

Ms Giuffre has welcomed the ruling to allow her sexual assault lawsuit against Prince Andrew to move forward.

In a statement to The Independent, her attorney David Boies said: “Virginia Giuffre is, of course, pleased that Prince Andrew’s motion to dismiss has been denied, and that evidence will now be taken concerning her claims against him.

“She looks forward to a judicial determination of the merits of those claims.”