Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been served with a summons to give evidence in a £40m fraud trial in the High Court, it has been reported.

The former Duke of York, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, is caught up in a legal battle involving a wealthy Turkish woman who alleges her former financial adviser misled her over a £750,000 payment made to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor in 2019.

It will be the first time Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has faced public questioning since his disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019, as well as an opportunity to hear his first public comments since the King stripped him of his titles last year.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor is also thought to be the first royal to be sent a witness summons since the 19th century.

It is understood he will appear in court on or before 15 December to give evidence on behalf of Selman Turk, who is being sued by Turkish national Nebahat İşbilen over allegations that he misled her and used her wealth for his own interests.

Mr Turk has strongly denied dishonesty.

His representatives, Janes Solicitors, said: “The Judge concluded that the proposed evidence that Mr Turk wishes to adduce from Mr Mountbatten-Windsor appears relevant to allegations of dishonesty advanced against Mr Turk and that, in the circumstances, it would be unfair and unjust to prevent him from seeking to adduce that evidence at trial.

“Mr Turk continues to strongly deny the allegations made against him and looks forward to vindicating his position at the forthcoming trial.”

The judge gave permission for the former prince to give evidence last month and the case is due to begin in mid-November.

Mr Turk has claimed that the £750,000 payment sent to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was a loan for the purchase of a chalet in Switzerland.

He alleges that Ms İşbilen had arranged to make the gift as she wanted to create goodwill with Mr Mountbatten-Windsor.

Mr Turk claims Mr İşbilen believed that the former duke might be able to assist her husband, who was in prison in Turkey, through his connections in the country.

But Mr İşbilen has alleged that Mr Turk misled her into making the payment by saying she needed to make a purported “gift” for assistance that the then Duke of York had provided in relation to Ms İşbilen’s Turkish passport.

She says Mr Turk knew this representation was false.

The former duke will be asked to give evidence related to this dispute.

Mr Turk said he first came into contact with the then duke through the Pitch@Palace initiative, a Dragon's Den-style startup founded by Mr Mountbatten-Windsor in 2014.

The money was sent to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s personal bank account on 15 November 2019, the day before his car crash BBC Newsnight interview.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor revealed he was stepping back from public duties four days after the interview amid scrutiny over his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and claims he slept with Virginia Giuffre when she was 17-years-old.

He was later stripped of his military titles and royal patronages by the late Queen in 2022, and forced to remove his remaining titles, including the Duke of York, in October last year.

has approached Mr Mountbatten-Windsor for comment.