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A American legislative panel probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he submit to a deposition as part of its investigation into Epstein’s wrongdoings.

In a document made public on Thursday, a lawmaker, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, asked that King Charles III’s brother cooperate with its probe.

The formal request to answer questions follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his princely title and opted to vacate his leased home in Windsor.

Documents and Allegations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in documents and flight logs subpoenaed 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 oversight committee will investigate allegations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand details on Epstein’s activities, circle, and connections based on the men’s long-term and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It requested information from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his relationship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly vehemently rejected any wrongdoing.

Details of the Letter

“It has been publicly reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 conviction for procuring minors for sex work,” the letter said.

It continued: “It has also been claimed that you went 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 charged of harming young girls. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, coupled with the newly disclosed 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 wrongdoings 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 demands a answer by 20 November.

Past Statements and Assistance

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be asked to appear before the oversight committee. The public should be able to know who was abusing women and young girls alongside Epstein.”

However, the representative does not have the authority to subpoena the former prince and Congress itself cannot force testimony from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor did not respond to US appeals 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 lawyers to check on his earlier promise that he was “prepared to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.

“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that pledge,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered no cooperation”.

Appeals for Accountability

The lawmaker said in a comment that “wealthy and influential men have avoided accountability for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and deliver justice for the survivors. The committee will not cease advocating for answerability and transparency for survivors of Epstein and his network of accomplices.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing accounts to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as public reporting of leaked documents, “it is vital that Andrew works together with the current probe. If he is blameless, then he can prove his innocence.”

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

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