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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, asking that he submit to a deposition as part of its probe into Epstein’s wrongdoings.

In a document released on Thursday, a US representative, the leading Democrat on the House oversight panel, urged that King Charles III’s younger brother assist with its investigation.

The official demand to answer questions arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his HRH style and agreed to give up his rented residence in Windsor.

Records and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in records and aviation records secured from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of sexual assault.

“The oversight committee will examine accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request data on Epstein’s operations, circle, and associates based on the men’s longstanding and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It demanded particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his relationship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has consistently categorically denied any misconduct.

Content of the Letter

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

It stated further: “It has also been claimed that you went with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of assaulting underage individuals. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, combined with the freshly uncovered 2011 electronic correspondence in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our suspicion that you may have key insights 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 Remarks and Collaboration

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

However, the lawmaker does not have the ability to subpoena the former prince and Congress itself cannot force testimony from a foreign national.

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 lawyers and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s attorneys to inquire on his earlier promise that he was “willing to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.

“It’s just for people to know whether Prince Andrew has honored with that public commitment,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “given zero cooperation”.

Calls for Transparency

The congressman said in a comment that “affluent and well-connected men have avoided the law for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the option to come clean and secure redress for the survivors. We will not halt pushing for accountability and transparency for survivors of Epstein and his gang of co-conspirators.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving testimony to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as public reporting of released files, “it is crucial that Andrew works together with the active probe. If he is blameless, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our examination will show that, and the victims will receive belated redress. The Royal Family’s actions taking away Andrew of his honors indicate there is more to this case.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king formally revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III formally made the adjustment – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the monarch’s office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.