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A American legislative committee investigating sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he participate in an interview as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s wrongdoings.

In a document released on Thursday, a US representative, the senior Democrat on the House oversight panel, urged that King Charles III’s younger brother assist with its inquiry.

The written appeal to answer questions arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his princely title and consented to give up his leased home in Windsor.

Files and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in records and travel logs obtained from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s survivors, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.

“The committee will probe accusations of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand information on Epstein’s network, network, and connections based on the men’s long-term and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It demanded details from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his relationship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has always strongly denied any impropriety.

Substance of the Request

“It has been documented that your relationship with Mr Epstein commenced in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for trafficking underage girls for sex work,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been claimed that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of abusing underage individuals. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, combined with the freshly uncovered 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our belief that you may have key insights about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

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

Previous Comments and Assistance

The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be asked to give evidence before the committee. The people has the right to know who was assaulting women and minors alongside Epstein.”

However, the representative does not have the power to legally require the former prince and Congress itself cannot compel statements from a overseas individual.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to respond 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 legal team to check on his public commitment that he was “willing to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.

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

Demands for Justice

The lawmaker said in a statement that “wealthy and well-connected men have escaped justice for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the chance to tell the truth and provide justice for the affected individuals. The committee will not cease advocating for answerability and openness for victims of Epstein and his network of co-conspirators.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing evidence to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as news accounts of released files, “it is crucial that Andrew assists with the active probe. If he is blameless, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our probe will show that, and the affected individuals will receive belated accountability. The Royal Family’s actions removing Andrew of his styles indicate there is further to this story.”

The letter was sent on the same day the British king formally stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III officially made the change – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the monarch’s office published in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.