A Florida judge has ruled that an Australian mother’s underage sex allegations against Prince Andrew were not relevant to an ongoing case against the US Government.

Judge Kenneth Marra expressed no opinion as to the “validity or veracity” of allegations against the Duke of York, the BBC reported.

He said the allegations that Prince Andrew’s former friend, financier Jeffery Epstein, had “forced” a 17-year-old girl to have sex with the Prince.

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The claims are to be struck from the record of the civil case in the US, the BBC reported.

In January, Buckingham Palace denied the claims that date back to 1999.

“This relates to long-standing and ongoing civil proceedings in the United States, to which the Duke of York is not a party,” a Palace spokeswoman told the BBC.

“As such we would not comment on the detail. However, for the avoidance of doubt, any suggestion of impropriety with under-age minors is categorically untrue.”

The legal process began in 2011 against Epstein, who was jailed for soliciting a minor for prostitution. Prince Andrew apologised for the friendship, BBC reports.

Two unidentified women are suing the US government claiming it didn’t protect their rights during a plea deal with Epstein.

A third woman, Australian mother Virginia Roberts, 31, was attempting to join the claim against the US Government but was denied the right.

“The factual details regarding with whom and where the Jane Does engaged in sexual activities are immaterial and impertinent to this central claim,” the judge said in a ruling reported by the BBC.

BBC reports lawyers for Virginia Roberts say today’s ruling is “not the end of the matter” concerning allegations against Prince Andrew.

— phil dampier (@phildampier) April 7, 2015