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A US congressional body probing pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he undergo an interview as part of its probe into Epstein’s criminal operations.

In a letter made public on Thursday, a US representative, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s sibling help with its probe.

The official demand to respond to queries arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his princely title and opted to give up his property in Windsor.

Documents and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in records and flight 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 misconduct.

“The oversight committee will probe allegations of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand information on Epstein’s activities, associates, and accomplices based on the men’s enduring and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It demanded information from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly categorically denied any impropriety.

Substance of the Letter

“It has been documented that your association with Mr Epstein commenced in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 sentencing for soliciting minors for prostitution,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been reported that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of assaulting young girls. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, coupled with the newly disclosed 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our belief that you may have important details about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

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

Previous Remarks and Assistance

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be called to give evidence before the oversight committee. The people deserves to know who was harming women and minors alongside Epstein.”

However, the lawmaker does not have the authority to legally require the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot force statements from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to reply to US requests for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s legal team to follow up on his public commitment that he was “prepared to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.

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

Demands for Justice

The representative said in a statement that “wealthy and influential men have avoided accountability for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the option to come clean and provide accountability for the affected individuals. Oversight Democrats will not halt pushing for responsibility and openness for those affected of Epstein and his network of partners.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving testimony to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as news accounts of leaked documents, “it is essential that Andrew cooperates with the ongoing inquiry. If he is blameless, then he can vindicate himself.”

The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our examination will show that, and the affected individuals will receive long overdue justice. The monarchy’s actions taking away Andrew of his styles suggest there is more to this story.”

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 announced a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the crown office released in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.