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A US congressional committee probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he submit to a deposition as part of its probe into Epstein’s wrongdoings.

In a communication published on Thursday, a California congressman, the senior Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother help with its inquiry.

The written appeal to provide testimony arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his HRH style and opted to surrender his property in Windsor.

Records and Claims

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in papers and travel logs secured from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of sexual assault.

“The committee will investigate accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand details on Epstein’s operations, circle, and connections based on the men’s longstanding and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It demanded information from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his relationship with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has always strongly denied any impropriety.

Content of the Letter

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

It continued: “It has also been reported that you went with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of harming minors. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, combined with the recently revealed 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our suspicion that you may have valuable information about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his partners in crime.”

A announcement regarding the letter said it was co-signed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and demands a reply by 20 November.

Past Statements and Assistance

The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be summoned to testify before the oversight committee. The people deserves to know who was assaulting women and young girls alongside Epstein.”

However, the congressman does not have the ability to legally require the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot oblige evidence from a foreign national.

In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to 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 attorneys to check on his earlier promise that he was “willing 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 “offered absolutely no cooperation”.

Demands for Accountability

The representative said in a comment that “affluent and influential men have avoided accountability for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and deliver redress for the victims. We will not halt fighting for responsibility and transparency for survivors of Epstein and his gang of accomplices.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving testimony to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as news accounts of released files, “it is crucial that Andrew assists with the active investigation. If he is innocent, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our investigation will show that, and the victims will receive belated redress. The Royal Family’s actions removing Andrew of his titles suggest there is more to this story.”

The letter was sent on the same day the British king officially removed Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III publicly made the adjustment – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the royal office released in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.