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A American legislative committee investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he undergo an interview as part of its investigation into Epstein’s criminal operations.

In a document made public on Thursday, a lawmaker, the leading Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s brother assist with its inquiry.

The written appeal to provide testimony arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his princely title and agreed to vacate his leased home in Windsor.

Records and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in records and travel logs secured from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.

“The committee will probe accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request information on Epstein’s activities, associates, and connections based on the men’s long-term and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.

It requested particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his association with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has consistently categorically denied any impropriety.

Content of the Letter

“It has been widely reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 sentencing for procuring minors for sex work,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been reported that you traveled with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of assaulting young girls. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, coupled with the recently revealed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our suspicion that you may have key insights about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

A notification regarding the letter said it was co-signed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a answer by 20 November.

Past Remarks and Collaboration

The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be asked to appear before the oversight committee. The people has the right to know who was harming women and minors alongside Epstein.”

However, the congressman does not have the power to legally require the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot compel testimony from a overseas individual.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to respond to US requests for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had approached Andrew’s legal team to inquire on his public commitment that he was “prepared to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.

“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has honored with that pledge,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered absolutely no cooperation”.

Calls for Justice

The congressman said in a comment that “affluent and well-connected men have avoided accountability for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the opportunity to come clean and secure accountability for the survivors. We will not stop advocating for answerability and clarity for those affected of Epstein and his network of partners.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to evidence to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as media coverage of released files, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the ongoing inquiry. If he is blameless, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our investigation will reveal that, and the victims will receive much-delayed redress. The royal household’s actions removing Andrew of his honors suggest there is additional to this situation.”

The letter came on the same day the British king officially removed Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III publicly made the change – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the crown office published in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.