Prince Andrew's civil suit, stemming from the royal family's alleged friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and filed by Virginia Giuffre, who accuses Andrew of sexual impropriety when he was 17 years old, has already had a major impact on the royal family. Prince Charles and Prince William are reportedly unanimous in their decision not to reinstate Andrew to his royal duties, while at the same time worrying about how the incident will affect the queen. It has also affected the royal family's image to the public, with an anonymous woman banging on Prince Andrew's window last week and the phrase "abolish the monarchy" trending on Twitter in the wake of news of the lawsuit.

Another ruling currently pending in the case could create an even bigger rift within the office. According to The Daily Beast, Meghan Markle could be asked to testify against Prince Andrew as a witness in the case. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S., and Jouffre's lawyer, David Boies, told the magazine that Meghan is a prime target for a subpoena and could be forced to give a statement in court.

Boies explained: [One, she is in the U.S., so we have jurisdiction over her; two, she has obviously been in Prince Andrew's inner circle for at least some period of time, and therefore has seen what he has done, even if she has not seen what he has is in a position to have heard people talk about it. Based on her past association with him, it is very likely that she has important knowledge, and she is certain to have some knowledge; third, she is someone who can be expected to tell the truth. She meets all three of these criteria."

Boyes also noted that Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, would also be subject to subpoena, but that obtaining jurisdiction over them as British citizens would present additional difficulties. We will probably take the depositions of one or two people close to Andrew who know about his behavior," he said. That might include his ex-wife. Maybe even his brother," he said.

But when asked whether he would allow Andrew's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to be deposed, Boyce refused. He cited "respect and deference" and Queen Elizabeth's age as reasons for not having her testify under oath, saying, "I don't think she has knowledge that others don't have. I don't think he would feel free to tell his mother what he would tell his contemporaries or his ex-wife."

For Jouffre's appeal to move forward, it must overcome a pending motion to dismiss to be filed by Prince Andrew's team on January 4, but the threat of depositions could create a kind of no-win situation for all parties involved.

We will update as further information becomes available.