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A US congressional body probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he participate in a deposition as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s criminal operations.

In a document made public on Thursday, a US representative, the senior Democrat on the House investigative committee, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother assist with its inquiry.

The formal request to respond to queries arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his royal title and opted to give up his rented residence in Windsor.

Files and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in documents and aviation records obtained from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

“The panel will investigate allegations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek information on Epstein’s network, network, and associates based on the men’s longstanding and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It sought details from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his friendship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly strongly denied any misconduct.

Details of the Letter

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

It continued: “It has also been claimed that you went with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of assaulting minors. This close relationship 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 important details about the wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

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

Previous Statements and Assistance

The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be asked to give evidence before the panel. The people has the right to know who was assaulting women and minors alongside Epstein.”

However, the lawmaker does not hold the authority to subpoena the former prince and Congress itself cannot compel testimony from a foreign national.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to reply to US appeals for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s lawyers to inquire on his earlier promise that he was “prepared to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.

“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has fulfilled with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered zero cooperation”.

Calls for Transparency

The congressman said in a comment that “affluent and influential men have escaped the law for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the option to come clean and secure redress for the affected individuals. The committee will not halt fighting for responsibility and openness for survivors of Epstein and his group of partners.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to accounts to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as public reporting of disclosed papers, “it is crucial that Andrew assists with the ongoing probe. If he is innocent, then he can vindicate himself.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our examination will show that, and the victims will receive much-delayed redress. The Royal Family’s actions removing Andrew of his titles suggest there is more to this situation.”

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