What now for Prince Andrew? Royal faces scrutiny after Ghislaine Maxwell's arrest - NBC News

LONDON — As the lurid headlines swirl in the wake of the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein's longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, questions again are surging over what comes next for Britain's Prince Andrew, who is caught up in the high-profile affair.

Borkowski, who is not working with Andrew but has worked with celebrities including the "King of Pop" Michael Jackson and the comedian Joan Rivers in the past, said much now rests on exactly what Maxwell tells U.S.

In a widely panned television interview with the BBC in the fall, Andrew said that he had been introduced to Epstein by Maxwell, and that he went to stay with him in New York for four days in 2010.

The trip was to break off the friendship, Andrew said, after Epstein served time for soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution.

Andrew has also denied allegations that he had any form of sexual contact with Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who has repeatedly said she was trafficked by Epstein when she was 17 and directed to have sexual relations with the prince.

Because Andrew is only a witness, NBC News legal analyst Danny Cevallos said, U.S.

If Andrew does travel to the U.S., Cevallos said that lawyers for Epstein's victims could see him as a potential civil defendant and serve him with either a subpoena or a lawsuit.

Both politically, because of the relationship between the two countries, and legally, as a member of the royal family, Andrew could be protected by crown or sovereign immunity.

Stephens said the principle of sovereign immunity — which makes certain individuals immune from prosecution — would make it difficult for Andrew to be summoned to the U.S.

to collect evidence, Stephens said.

Even if he was extradited to America, Andrew would be under "no obligation to give evidence," Stephens added.

However, Juliet Sorensen, a former federal prosecutor and a professor of law at Northwestern University, said the royal would most likely not be shielded by sovereign immunity

"Sovereign immunity would not apply to a case in which a sovereign has engaged in criminal activity," she said