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A US congressional committee investigating pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he undergo questioning as part of its probe into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a communication released on Thursday, a lawmaker, the leading Democrat on the House investigative committee, urged that King Charles III’s sibling help with its probe.

The official demand to provide testimony arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his princely title and opted to give up his property in Windsor.

Files and Allegations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in records and travel logs subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s survivors, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

“The committee will investigate claims of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek details on Epstein’s network, circle, and associates based on the men’s long-term and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.

It demanded particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his association with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has always strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Details of the Letter

“It has been documented that your relationship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 conviction for procuring minors for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been alleged that you went with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of assaulting underage individuals. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, combined with the recently revealed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our suspicion that you may have valuable information about the offenses 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 asks a response by 20 November.

Previous Remarks and Assistance

The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be summoned to testify before the oversight committee. The citizens has the right to know who was assaulting women and minors alongside Epstein.”

However, the congressman does not hold the power to compel the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot force evidence from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to respond to US demands for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s lawyers to inquire on his earlier promise that he was “prepared to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.

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

Calls for Justice

The representative said in a comment that “wealthy and influential men have avoided the law for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the opportunity to come clean and provide accountability for the victims. Oversight Democrats will not stop fighting for answerability and transparency for victims of Epstein and his group of partners.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to testimony to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as public reporting of released files, “it is essential that Andrew cooperates with the current investigation. If he is blameless, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our examination will demonstrate that, and the survivors will receive belated accountability. The monarchy’s actions stripping Andrew of his titles show there is more to this situation.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king publicly revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III formally made the change – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the royal office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.