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A US congressional committee looking into pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he participate in a deposition as part of its investigation into Epstein’s criminal operations.

In a letter released on Thursday, a US representative, the leading Democrat on the House oversight committee, urged that King Charles III’s sibling cooperate with its probe.

The written appeal to answer questions comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his royal title and opted to give up his leased home in Windsor.

Files and Claims

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in documents and aviation records obtained from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of sexual assault.

“The oversight committee will investigate allegations of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request data on Epstein’s network, associates, and accomplices based on the men’s longstanding and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It demanded details from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his friendship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has consistently categorically denied any misconduct.

Substance of the Letter

“It has been documented that your friendship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 conviction for procuring minors for sex work,” the letter said.

It added: “It has also been alleged that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of abusing underage individuals. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, combined with the newly disclosed 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our concern that you may have valuable information about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

A notification regarding the letter said it was supported by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a reply by 20 November.

Previous Statements and Collaboration

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be summoned to appear before the panel. The people has the right to know who was assaulting women and young girls alongside Epstein.”

However, the congressman does not hold the authority to legally require the former prince and Congress itself cannot oblige testimony from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor did not reply to US appeals for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had approached Andrew’s attorneys to check on his earlier promise that he was “ready 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 “provided no cooperation”.

Appeals for Justice

The congressman said in a announcement that “wealthy and well-connected men have escaped accountability for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and secure justice for the survivors. The committee will not stop fighting for responsibility and transparency for victims of Epstein and his network of partners.”

Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing testimony to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as news accounts of leaked documents, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the current inquiry. If he is blameless, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our investigation will show that, and the affected individuals will receive much-delayed accountability. The monarchy’s actions stripping Andrew of his titles indicate there is more to this situation.”

The letter was sent on the same day the British king publicly removed Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III officially made the adjustment – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the monarch’s office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.