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A US congressional body investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he undergo questioning as part of its probe into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a document published on Thursday, a California congressman, the senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, asked that King Charles III’s younger brother assist with its investigation.

The official demand to answer questions arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his royal title and opted to give up his rented residence in Windsor.

Records and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in records and flight logs obtained from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

“The oversight committee will examine claims of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek information on Epstein’s activities, circle, and accomplices based on the men’s enduring and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It sought particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has consistently vehemently rejected any misconduct.

Details of the Request

“It has been documented that your relationship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for trafficking underage girls for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been alleged that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of abusing underage individuals. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, combined with the freshly uncovered 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our suspicion that you may have important details about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

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

Previous Statements and Assistance

The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be called to appear before the committee. The citizens should be able to know who was harming women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”

However, the representative does not hold the authority to compel the duke and Congress itself cannot oblige statements from a foreign national.

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 lawyers and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s legal team to follow up on his public commitment that he was “prepared to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.

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

Appeals for Accountability

The lawmaker said in a comment that “rich and influential men have escaped justice for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the option to come clean and secure justice for the victims. We will not cease fighting for responsibility and clarity for victims of Epstein and his gang of co-conspirators.”

Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to evidence to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as media coverage of released files, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the current investigation. If he is innocent, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker added: “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 honors suggest there is further to this story.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king officially removed Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III publicly made the change – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the crown office published in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.