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A US congressional panel looking into sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he submit to an interview as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a communication released on Thursday, a US representative, the senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother help with its probe.

The formal request to provide testimony comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his royal title and consented to give up his rented residence in Windsor.

Records and Claims

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in documents and aviation records obtained 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 sexual assault.

“The committee will examine accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand data on Epstein’s operations, network, and associates based on the men’s longstanding and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It requested particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his association with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has always strongly denied any misconduct.

Substance of the Communication

“It has been widely reported that your association with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 conviction for procuring minors for sex work,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been alleged that you went with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of abusing underage individuals. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, along with the recently revealed 2011 electronic correspondence in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our belief that you may have valuable information about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

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

Past Statements and Cooperation

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be summoned to give evidence before the panel. The public should be able to know who was harming women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”

However, the congressman does not hold the ability to legally require the duke and Congress itself cannot compel statements from a overseas individual.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor did not reply 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 legal team to follow up 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 honored with that pledge,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “given no cooperation”.

Demands for Justice

The representative said in a comment that “wealthy and influential men have escaped justice for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the chance to come clean and deliver accountability for the affected individuals. The committee will not stop pushing for answerability and clarity for survivors of Epstein and his gang of accomplices.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving accounts to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as public reporting of leaked documents, “it is crucial that Andrew assists with the active investigation. If he is innocent, then he can vindicate himself.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our investigation will demonstrate that, and the affected individuals will receive much-delayed justice. The royal household’s actions removing Andrew of his styles suggest there is further to this story.”

The letter was sent on the same day the British king publicly stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. 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 public registry.