Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor can be called to give evidence about his business dealings, a judge ruled today.

The High Court granted permission to a former Goldman Sachs banker to call for evidence from the former Duke of York.

Andrew is not accused of any wrongdoing and the case is not about him, but he has been drawn into it after gifts of up to £750,000 were made.

The case involves an elderly Turkish millionairess, Nebahat Isbilen. 

Mrs Isbilen claimed she was conned into giving some of her fortune to the then Prince Andrew and his family by former Goldman Sachs banker and alleged fraudster Selman Turk, who had won an award at Andrew’s Dragons Den-style initiative Pitch@Palace.

A trial begins next month, with the royal expected to be called as a reluctant witness.

The judge said it was ‘unlikely that a person in the position of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor would wish voluntarily’ to provide evidence in the case. 

According to claims in her complex and long-running High Court case, Mrs Isbilen alleges Mr Turk stole millions from her. 

The Yorks were dragged into the mystery which involved Mr Turk arranging payments of £350,000 to Andrew, £225,000 to the Duchess of York, £25,000 to Princess Eugenie and a £750,000 ‘gift’ for Princess Beatrice’s wedding.

There was no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the Yorks, and they reached an agreement with Mrs Isbilen in 2023 to repay her an undisclosed amount of money.

Mrs Isbilen, 81, alleges that Mr Turk, her former adviser, misled her over the payments made to the then-duke and his family in 2019.

She says the banker siphoned off her funds when she fled Turkey to live in the UK. Disclosures obtained by Mrs Isbilen’s lawyers are alleged to show that substantial sums from her went to the former Duke of York’s household.

Mr Turk denies the allegations. His lawyers believe Mr Mountbatten-Windsor can help verify his version of events, and applied to be allowed to call him – even if he would be reluctant to get involved.

In a judgment today, Mr Justice Johnson agreed and gave Mr Turk permission to seek to call evidence from the ex prince.

The judge said: ‘Given the seriousness of the allegations, both on their own terms and in light of their wider impact, fairness requires that Mr Turk should be afforded an opportunity of putting forward his own case, using the evidence he considers relevant and material.’

He said the effect of his ruling was ‘to give Mr Turk permission to seek to call evidence from Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’, adding: ‘In practice this will likely involve him issuing a witness summons, which can be done without further permission of the Court provided the summons is issued more than seven days before the start of trial.’ 

The trial is due to begin in the week of November 16.

The judge suggested a witness summons ‘will likely’ be needed to compel Andrew to give evidence. 

He said: ‘I am content to find on the balance of probabilities that, had he been asked, Mr Mountbatten-Windsor would have declined to provide a witness statement. 

‘It is highly unlikely that a person in the position of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor would wish voluntarily to provide a witness statement and give evidence at a trial in public proceedings involving payments made by the wife of a person said to be a political prisoner in Turkey, in connection with a dispute about the reason the payments were made.’

Lawyers for Mrs Isbilen have previously told the court in London that tens of millions of her funds had been misappropriated, with Mr Turk then failing to explain where the money had gone.

The High Court was also previously told by lawyers for Mrs Isbilen that ‘money was used for purposes unconnected with Mrs Isbilen, eg, substantial sums were paid to Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and to Sarah, Duchess of York’.

The court heard in 2023 that there had been a ‘settlement’ between Mrs Isbilen and the then-Duke and Duchess of York.