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A US congressional panel probing pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he submit to an interview as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a document published on Thursday, a California congressman, the top Democrat on the House investigative committee, asked that King Charles III’s younger brother help with its probe.

The formal request to provide testimony follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his princely title and opted to surrender his leased home in Windsor.

Records and Accusations

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

“The panel will examine claims of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand data on Epstein’s operations, circle, and accomplices based on the men’s enduring and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It sought details from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his friendship with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has always vehemently rejected any impropriety.

Substance of the Communication

“It has been widely reported that your relationship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 sentencing for trafficking underage girls for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been claimed 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 abusing underage individuals. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, combined with the freshly uncovered 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our belief that you may have valuable information about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

A announcement regarding the letter said it was co-signed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and requests a answer by 20 November.

Past Comments and Collaboration

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

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

In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to reply to US appeals for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s attorneys to check on his public commitment that he was “willing 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 “given zero cooperation”.

Demands for Accountability

The congressman said in a announcement that “rich and influential men have escaped the law for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the chance to come clean and deliver accountability for the survivors. Oversight Democrats will not halt fighting for responsibility and openness for those affected of Epstein and his gang of partners.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving accounts to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as public reporting of leaked documents, “it is vital that Andrew cooperates with the active inquiry. If he is not guilty, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our probe will demonstrate that, and the survivors will receive long overdue justice. The royal household’s actions removing Andrew of his styles suggest there is more to this case.”

The letter came on the same day the British king publicly removed Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III formally made the change – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the crown office published in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.