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A American legislative committee investigating pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, demanding that he undergo a deposition as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a letter published on Thursday, a California congressman, the leading Democrat on the House investigative committee, asked that King Charles III’s younger brother cooperate with its investigation.

The official demand to respond to queries follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his HRH style and agreed to surrender his leased home in Windsor.

Records and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in documents and flight logs obtained from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

“The oversight committee will probe allegations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request details on Epstein’s operations, circle, and accomplices based on the men’s long-term and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.

It requested details from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his association with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has always strongly denied any impropriety.

Content of the Communication

“It has been widely reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 sentencing for procuring minors for prostitution,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been alleged that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of assaulting underage individuals. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, along with the freshly uncovered 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our belief that you may have key insights about the wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

A announcement regarding the letter said it was endorsed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and asks a answer by 20 November.

Previous Comments and Assistance

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

However, the congressman does not possess the power to compel the duke and Congress itself cannot compel testimony from a overseas individual.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to respond to US demands for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s attorneys to follow up on his public commitment that he was “willing to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.

“It’s fair for people to know whether Prince Andrew has honored with that public commitment,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “given no cooperation”.

Calls for Accountability

The congressman said in a announcement that “affluent and powerful men have escaped the law for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and secure accountability for the affected individuals. We will not halt fighting for answerability and clarity for survivors of Epstein and his network of co-conspirators.”

Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing testimony to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as media coverage of leaked documents, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the active probe. If he is innocent, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our examination will show that, and the survivors will receive belated accountability. The royal household’s actions taking away Andrew of his honors show there is additional to this situation.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king publicly stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III publicly made the adjustment – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the royal office released in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.