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A US congressional body investigating sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he undergo a deposition as part of its probe into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a letter made public on Thursday, a lawmaker, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, asked that King Charles III’s brother help with its probe.

The written appeal to respond to queries comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his royal title and opted to vacate his rented residence in Windsor.

Files and Claims

Mountbatten Windsor’s name is listed in records and travel logs subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of sexual assault.

“The panel will examine claims of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand details on Epstein’s activities, network, and accomplices based on the men’s longstanding and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It demanded information from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has always categorically denied any impropriety.

Details of the Communication

“It has been publicly reported that your association with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 sentencing for soliciting minors for prostitution,” the letter said.

It stated further: “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 accused of assaulting underage individuals. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, along with the newly disclosed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our suspicion that you may have important details about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

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

Earlier Remarks and Cooperation

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be called to give evidence before the committee. The public should be able to know who was abusing women and minors alongside Epstein.”

However, the lawmaker does not have the authority to subpoena the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot oblige testimony from a non-US citizen.

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

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

Demands for Transparency

The congressman said in a comment that “rich and powerful men have evaded the law for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the chance to be honest and secure redress for the victims. The committee will not cease fighting for accountability and clarity for those affected of Epstein and his group of partners.”

Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to accounts to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as news accounts of leaked documents, “it is crucial that Andrew works together with the current inquiry. If he is blameless, then he can prove his innocence.”

The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our probe will reveal that, and the affected individuals will receive belated justice. The monarchy’s actions taking away Andrew of his titles indicate there is more to this story.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king formally stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III formally made the alteration – which had been declared a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the royal office published in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.