Law & Justice

Prince Andrew Called to Testify in Turkish Fraud Trial

By Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit is a Senior News Editor on the Royals team at PEOPLE. She first joined the brand in 2016. People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 3, 2026 02:21PM EST

Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor, the former Prince Andrew, has been served with a witness summons to give evidence in a High Court fraud trial. The summons, issued after King Charles stripped him of his royal titles last year, makes him the first member of the British royal family to receive such a summons since the 19th century. Justice Adam Johnson ruled on 23 October that the former Duke of York could be called to testify in a case involving allegations that financial adviser Selman Turk stole tens of millions from Turkish millionaire Nebahat Evyap Isbilen. Johnson stated that, given the seriousness of the allegations, fairness required Turk to be able to present evidence he considered relevant, and that a witness summons would likely be needed to compel Andrew to appear. Isbilen claims Turk misled her about a £750,000 payment made to Andrew in 2019, which was later returned. Andrew has not been accused of wrongdoing in the case, and Turk has denied any misconduct. In 2022, Isbilen alleged that she had entrusted Turk with £67 million, including payments to Andrew totaling more than £1 million, to his ex‑wife Sarah Ferguson for £225,000 and to his daughter Princess Eugenie for £25,000. She said the 2019 payment was for Andrew’s assistance with obtaining a new passport after she fled the country, where her husband is imprisoned. Turk and Andrew’s office later told her bankers that the sum was a “wedding gift” for Princess Beatrice, who married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in July 2020, and the money was subsequently returned. Andrew is currently involved in several legal matters. He was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office and his homes were raided amid renewed scrutiny of his ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein; the search warrants were later ruled unlawful. Police Scotland confirmed it is conducting active inquiries following reports involving Andrew and Epstein at Balmoral Castle, the royal family’s private retreat in the Scottish Highlands. In August, Andrew gave a witness statement in a trial against his alleged stalker after accusing a reportedly homeless man, Alex Jenkinson, of accosting him outside his Sandringham residence in May while he was walking his dogs. Sarah Ferguson and Andrew remain in contact; their spokesperson says they maintain a cordial and supportive relationship as co‑parents and co‑grandparents.