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A American legislative committee probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he undergo an interview as part of its probe into Epstein’s criminal operations.

In a communication made public on Thursday, a lawmaker, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, requested that King Charles III’s sibling cooperate with its investigation.

The written appeal to respond to queries comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his royal title and opted to give up his property in Windsor.

Documents and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name features 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 survivors, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

“The committee will examine accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand details on Epstein’s network, circle, and connections based on the men’s long-term and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

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

Details of the Communication

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

It added: “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 personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of assaulting young girls. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, coupled with the recently revealed 2011 electronic correspondence in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our concern that you may have valuable information about the wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his partners in crime.”

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

Earlier Comments and Cooperation

The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be asked to appear before the committee. The people should be able to know who was harming women and young girls alongside Epstein.”

However, the congressman does not have the power to subpoena the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot compel evidence from a foreign national.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to cooperate to US demands for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had approached Andrew’s attorneys to check on his previous pledge that he was “willing to help any suitable 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 “provided absolutely no cooperation”.

Calls for Transparency

The representative said in a comment that “wealthy and well-connected men have avoided the law for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the chance to tell the truth and secure accountability for the survivors. The committee will not halt advocating for accountability and transparency for those affected of Epstein and his gang of partners.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to testimony to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as public reporting of released files, “it is vital that Andrew works together with the active investigation. If he is blameless, then he can vindicate himself.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our investigation will reveal that, and the victims will receive long overdue redress. The Royal Family’s actions taking away Andrew of his styles indicate there is more to this story.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king publicly removed Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III publicly made the change – which had been declared a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the monarch’s office released in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.