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A American legislative committee probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he participate in questioning as part of its investigation into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a letter made public on Thursday, a US representative, the senior Democrat on the House oversight panel, asked that King Charles III’s brother cooperate with its investigation.

The official demand to provide testimony arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his princely title and agreed to vacate his property in Windsor.

Files and Claims

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in documents and aviation records secured from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.

“The committee will investigate accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek details on Epstein’s operations, circle, and associates based on the men’s long-term and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.

It requested information from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his friendship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has always categorically denied any impropriety.

Substance of the Communication

“It has been widely reported that your association with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for procuring minors for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been reported that you traveled with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of abusing young girls. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, combined with the freshly uncovered 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our belief that you may have valuable information about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

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

Previous Remarks and Assistance

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be summoned to give evidence before the oversight committee. The public should be able to know who was assaulting women and young girls alongside Epstein.”

However, the representative does not possess the ability to legally require the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot oblige statements from a foreign national.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor did not reply to US requests for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s attorneys to inquire on his previous pledge that he was “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.

“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has fulfilled with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “given no cooperation”.

Appeals for Transparency

The congressman said in a comment that “affluent and powerful men have avoided accountability for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the chance to tell the truth and deliver accountability for the survivors. The committee will not stop pushing for answerability and transparency for victims of Epstein and his group of co-conspirators.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing testimony to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as news accounts of leaked documents, “it is vital that Andrew cooperates with the current inquiry. If he is not guilty, then he can prove his innocence.”

The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our probe will reveal that, and the survivors will receive much-delayed accountability. The Royal Family’s actions taking away Andrew of his honors indicate there is additional to this story.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king publicly removed Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III officially made the alteration – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the royal office released in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.