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A US congressional committee investigating pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he submit to questioning as part of its investigation into Epstein’s criminal operations.

In a communication made public on Thursday, a lawmaker, the leading Democrat on the House investigative committee, asked that King Charles III’s brother cooperate with its probe.

The written appeal to answer questions follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his princely title and agreed to vacate his leased home in Windsor.

Files and Allegations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in documents and travel logs subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of sexual assault.

“The panel will examine accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request data on Epstein’s operations, network, and accomplices based on the men’s enduring and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It sought details from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his friendship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has always categorically denied any wrongdoing.

Substance of the Letter

“It has been publicly reported that your association with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 conviction for procuring minors for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.

It continued: “It has also been reported that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of assaulting minors. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, combined with the freshly uncovered 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our suspicion that you may have key insights about the wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

A announcement regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and asks a answer by 20 November.

Earlier Comments and Cooperation

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

However, the congressman does not hold the ability to legally require the former prince and Congress itself cannot oblige evidence from a overseas individual.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to cooperate to US demands for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had approached Andrew’s legal team to follow up on his public commitment that he was “prepared to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.

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

Appeals for Transparency

The congressman said in a comment that “wealthy and well-connected men have escaped the law for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the opportunity to come clean and secure justice for the victims. Oversight Democrats will not halt advocating for accountability and openness for victims of Epstein and his group of partners.”

Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing evidence to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as media coverage of disclosed papers, “it is essential that Andrew cooperates with the active investigation. If he is not guilty, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our examination will reveal that, and the survivors will receive long overdue redress. The monarchy’s actions stripping Andrew of his titles indicate there is more to this situation.”

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