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A American legislative body looking into sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he undergo a deposition as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a letter made public on Thursday, a US representative, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s sibling assist with its investigation.

The written appeal to respond to queries arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his HRH style and opted to give up his leased home in Windsor.

Documents and Allegations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in papers and aviation records subpoenaed from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s survivors, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

“The committee will probe accusations of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request data on Epstein’s activities, circle, and accomplices based on the men’s enduring and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It sought details from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly categorically denied any wrongdoing.

Substance of the Letter

“It has been widely reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein commenced in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for trafficking underage girls 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 personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of harming underage individuals. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, along with the newly disclosed 2011 electronic correspondence in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our concern that you may have valuable information about the wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

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

Past Comments and Assistance

The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be summoned to testify before the committee. The people should be able to know who was abusing women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”

However, the lawmaker does not possess the power to legally require the former prince and Congress itself cannot compel evidence 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 prosecutors and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s lawyers to check on his previous pledge that he was “prepared to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.

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

Demands for Justice

The congressman said in a announcement that “affluent and well-connected men have evaded the law for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the chance to be honest and provide accountability for the victims. The committee will not stop advocating for responsibility and transparency for victims of Epstein and his group of accomplices.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving 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 current investigation. If he is innocent, then he can prove his innocence.”

The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our probe will reveal that, and the victims will receive much-delayed redress. The royal household’s actions removing Andrew of his honors suggest there is more to this case.”

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