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A American legislative body looking into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he undergo an interview as part of its probe into Epstein’s criminal operations.

In a letter published on Thursday, a US representative, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, asked that King Charles III’s sibling cooperate with its inquiry.

The formal request to answer questions arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his princely title and agreed to give up his leased home in Windsor.

Documents and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in records and travel logs secured 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 investigate allegations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand information on Epstein’s activities, network, and connections based on the men’s long-term and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It demanded particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his friendship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly vehemently rejected any misconduct.

Content of the Request

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

It continued: “It has also been alleged that you traveled with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of assaulting minors. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, coupled with the newly disclosed 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our belief that you may have important details about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his partners in crime.”

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

Previous Comments and Cooperation

The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be called to testify before the committee. The people deserves to know who was abusing women and young girls alongside Epstein.”

However, the lawmaker does not have the power to legally require the duke and Congress itself cannot oblige statements from a overseas individual.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to respond to US requests for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s attorneys to follow up 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 fulfilled with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “given absolutely no cooperation”.

Appeals for Justice

The congressman said in a comment that “wealthy and influential men have avoided the law for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and provide justice for the victims. Oversight Democrats will not cease fighting for responsibility and clarity for survivors of Epstein and his gang of accomplices.”

Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving testimony to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as news accounts of released files, “it is essential that Andrew works together with the ongoing inquiry. If he is not guilty, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our examination will demonstrate that, and the affected individuals will receive much-delayed justice. The Royal Family’s actions removing Andrew of his honors show there is further to this story.”

The letter was sent on the same day the British king formally stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III officially made the change – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the crown office published in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.