Prince Andrew named in underage 'sex slave' allegations.

By Philip Williams.

Buckingham Palace has been forced to deny allegations Prince Andrew had sexual relations with a minor.

The claims have been made in a United States lawsuit involving controversial millionaire Jeffery Epstein.

The Duke of York is not a party to the case so has not been able to respond to the allegations, but the Palace issued a strongly worded statement saying “for the avoidance of doubt, any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors in categorically untrue”.

Buckingham Palace said the allegations relate to a long-standing and ongoing civil proceeding in the US to which the Duke of York is not a party.

Prince Andrew was named in documents a woman filed in a Florida court over how prosecutors handled a case against Epstein, a convicted sex offender.

The woman, who has not been named, said Epstein forced her to have sex with powerful people between 1999 and 2002 when she was a minor.

She said the alleged encounters with Prince Andrew happened in London, New York and on a private island in the Caribbean.

Prince Andrew had previously been criticised for his friendship with Epstein who has been jailed for sex offences.

In 2011, one opposition politician said that Prince Andrew had become an “embarrassment” because of the connection, as well as accusations of lavish trips, links with key figures in repressive regimes and outspoken comments.

This article originally appeared on ABC News and is republished here with permission.