Thousands of dollars collected for prosecution of former Prince Andrew

Thousands of dollars have been collected as part of a campaign seeking to bring a private prosecution against Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, former Prince Andrew.

In it's online campaign, Republic, an anti-monarchy group, is aiming to collect  £50,000.

The organization, which has so far amassed nearly £20,000, said that a private prosecution can cost anything from £15,000 to £150,000 or more.

Republic has taken the unprecedented step of instructing a law firm to launch a private prosecution.

It said lawyers will be actively investigating the case against Andrew with a view to beginning proceedings in the coming weeks.

The group said, "Republic has instructed lawyers to pursue a private prosecution of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor (Formerly known as Prince Andrew) over accusations of sexual offences and misconduct in public office."

"We've been calling for the police to investigate Andrew. We've been calling for the government to convene a Royal Epstein Inquiry. "But neither has acted. So if they won't take action, we will," Republic said.

The group also published on it's website Virginia Giuffre's quote from her posthumous book "Nobody's Girl": Prince Andrew believed having sex with me was his birthright."

The group said in its statement, "Nothing has really changed for Andrew who, according to visitors to Royal Loge, spends much of his time playing video games. He is still a technically a duke, only an act of parliament would strip him of that title. He is still technically an HRH, a Knight of the Gartner, the highest order of British chivalry, and he is still the Earl of Inverness."

The campaign was launched after King Charles III stripped his younger brother, Andrew, of his remaining royal titles on October 30 over his links to late sex offender Jeffery Epstein.

As part of his action against the former Duke of York, the monarch also asked him to vacate his royal residence.