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A US congressional committee investigating pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he submit to an interview as part of its probe into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a letter published on Thursday, a US representative, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother assist with its inquiry.

The formal request to provide testimony comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his royal title and consented to give up his leased home in Windsor.

Files and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in papers and travel logs obtained from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.

“The panel will investigate allegations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request details on Epstein’s activities, associates, and accomplices based on the men’s enduring and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It requested information from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his relationship with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly strongly denied any misconduct.

Details of the Communication

“It has been documented that your friendship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for trafficking underage girls for prostitution,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been claimed that you traveled with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of assaulting minors. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, along with the newly disclosed 2011 electronic correspondence in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our suspicion that you may have important details about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

A announcement regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and asks a reply by 20 November.

Previous Comments and Assistance

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

However, the congressman does not possess the ability to legally require the duke and Congress itself cannot oblige testimony from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to respond to US demands for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s lawyers to inquire on his public commitment that he was “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.

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

Appeals for Justice

The representative said in a comment that “rich and influential men have escaped accountability for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the opportunity to be honest and deliver justice for the affected individuals. The committee will not halt fighting for answerability and transparency for victims of Epstein and his group of accomplices.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving testimony to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as media coverage of disclosed papers, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the active inquiry. If he is blameless, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our investigation will show that, and the affected individuals will receive much-delayed accountability. The monarchy’s actions taking away Andrew of his honors show there is more to this story.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king publicly stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III formally made the change – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the monarch’s office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.