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A American legislative panel investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he participate in a deposition as part of its investigation into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a letter released on Thursday, a US representative, the leading Democrat on the House oversight panel, urged that King Charles III’s brother assist with its investigation.

The written appeal to respond to queries follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his HRH style and consented to vacate his property in Windsor.

Files and Allegations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in papers and travel logs secured from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of sexual assault.

“The committee will examine accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand information on Epstein’s operations, network, and accomplices based on the men’s longstanding and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

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

Substance of the Request

“It has been widely reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 conviction for trafficking underage girls for prostitution,” 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 accused of harming underage individuals. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, combined with the recently revealed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our suspicion that you may have important details about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his partners in crime.”

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

Past Statements and Collaboration

The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be asked to give evidence before the oversight committee. The public deserves to know who was harming women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”

However, the representative does not hold the power to legally require the former prince and Congress itself cannot force statements from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to respond to US appeals for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s legal team to inquire on his previous pledge that he was “ready to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.

“It’s reasonable for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that public commitment,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “provided zero cooperation”.

Appeals for Justice

The representative said in a announcement that “wealthy and powerful men have evaded the law for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the opportunity to be honest and provide accountability for the victims. The committee will not halt pushing for answerability and openness for those affected of Epstein and his gang of partners.”

Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing accounts to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as public reporting of leaked documents, “it is essential that Andrew works together with the active investigation. If he is not guilty, then he can prove his innocence.”

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

The letter was sent on the same day the British king publicly revoked Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III officially made the alteration – which had been declared a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the crown office published in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.