A New York judge set a hearing date of January 4 for lawyers representing Britain's Prince Andrew to argue for the dismissal of a sexual assault complaint filed by a US woman.

Judge Lewis Kaplan said, "On January 4, 2022, at 10 a.m. (1500 GMT), the Court will hear argument on defendant's motion to dismiss the complaint."

Since August, when Virginia Giuffre, 38, filed a case in Manhattan federal court accusing Queen Elizabeth's second son of sexual abuse while she was a juvenile over 20 years ago, the Duke of York, 61, has been under increasing pressure.

Giuffre claims that Jeffrey Epstein, the infamous late banker, rented her out for sex with his affluent and prominent acquaintances, including Andrew.

According to her, the prince allegedly abused her in Epstein's house in New York and on his island in the US Virgin Islands.

Andrew allegedly sexually molested Giuffre at the London house of socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, according to Giuffre.

According to the coroner, Epstein committed suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges.

Andrew rejects the allegations and has asked for the complaint to be dismissed, claiming that it is "without merit" and that Giuffre is trying to make money off the matter.

If the prince's motion is denied, a civil trial would be convened "between September and December next year," according to Judge Kaplan.