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A US congressional body probing sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he undergo an interview as part of its investigation into Epstein’s criminal operations.

In a letter made public on Thursday, a US representative, the senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, asked that King Charles III’s younger brother cooperate with its probe.

The written appeal to provide testimony follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his princely title and consented to surrender his rented residence in Windsor.

Records and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in records and flight logs obtained from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

“The panel will investigate claims of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request details on Epstein’s activities, network, and connections based on the men’s longstanding and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

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

Substance of the Communication

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

It added: “It has also been claimed that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of harming minors. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, combined with the newly disclosed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our concern that you may have important details about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

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

Previous Comments and Cooperation

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

However, the congressman does not hold the authority to compel the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot compel evidence from a non-US citizen.

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

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

Appeals for Accountability

The lawmaker said in a statement that “rich and well-connected men have avoided justice for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the option to be honest and provide justice for the affected individuals. We will not stop pushing for responsibility and openness for survivors of Epstein and his network of partners.”

Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing accounts to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as public reporting of released files, “it is essential that Andrew works together with the ongoing investigation. If he is innocent, then he can vindicate himself.”

The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our examination will reveal that, and the affected individuals will receive long overdue accountability. The Royal Family’s actions stripping Andrew of his styles suggest there is more to this case.”

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