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A US congressional panel probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he participate in questioning as part of its investigation into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a letter published on Thursday, a US representative, the leading Democrat on the House oversight panel, asked that King Charles III’s younger brother cooperate with its probe.

The formal request to answer questions arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his HRH style and consented to vacate his property in Windsor.

Records and Claims

Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in papers and flight logs subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s survivors, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.

“The oversight committee will investigate allegations of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek details on Epstein’s operations, associates, and associates based on the men’s enduring and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It sought particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his association with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has consistently strongly denied any impropriety.

Details of the Communication

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

It continued: “It has also been alleged that you went with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of assaulting underage individuals. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, combined with the freshly uncovered 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our belief that you may have key insights about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

A statement regarding the letter said it was supported by 13 other Democrats on the committee and requests a response by 20 November.

Previous Remarks and Collaboration

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be called to testify before the oversight committee. The people should be able to know who was abusing women and minors alongside Epstein.”

However, the representative does not possess the authority to compel the former prince and Congress itself cannot oblige testimony from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to reply to US demands for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had approached Andrew’s lawyers to inquire on his earlier promise that he was “ready to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.

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

Demands for Justice

The representative said in a announcement that “wealthy and influential men have evaded justice for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and secure justice for the affected individuals. The committee will not stop fighting for responsibility and openness for survivors of Epstein and his group of partners.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing testimony to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as public reporting 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 examination will reveal that, and the survivors will receive long overdue justice. The monarchy’s actions removing Andrew of his titles suggest there is additional to this case.”

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