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A American legislative body probing sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking 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 top Democrat on the House investigative committee, urged that King Charles III’s sibling cooperate with its investigation.

The written appeal to respond to queries follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his princely title and consented to give up his rented residence in Windsor.

Records and Allegations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in records and aviation records obtained from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.

“The panel will probe accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request information on Epstein’s activities, circle, and connections based on the men’s long-term and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It demanded details from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his relationship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has always strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Details of the Request

“It has been widely reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 conviction for trafficking underage girls for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.

It continued: “It has also been claimed that you went with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of harming young girls. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, along with the recently revealed 2011 electronic correspondence in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our suspicion that you may have important details about the wrongdoings 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 requests a reply by 20 November.

Past Statements and Assistance

The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be called to give evidence before the committee. The citizens should be able to know who was assaulting women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”

However, the representative does not hold the ability to subpoena the former prince and Congress itself cannot force statements from a foreign national.

In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor did not cooperate to US appeals for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s attorneys to inquire on his earlier promise that he was “prepared to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.

“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “provided zero cooperation”.

Demands for Accountability

The lawmaker said in a announcement that “rich and powerful men have escaped accountability for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the option to come clean and deliver redress for the victims. The committee will not halt fighting for responsibility and clarity for survivors of Epstein and his gang of co-conspirators.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing evidence to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as news accounts of released files, “it is essential that Andrew cooperates with the ongoing investigation. If he is blameless, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our investigation will demonstrate that, and the affected individuals will receive belated justice. The royal household’s actions taking away Andrew of his styles show there is further to this case.”

The letter came on the same day the British king officially removed Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III formally made the change – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the royal office released in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.