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A American legislative panel looking into sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he undergo an interview as part of its probe into Epstein’s wrongdoings.

In a letter published on Thursday, a US representative, the leading Democrat on the House investigative committee, asked that King Charles III’s brother help with its investigation.

The written appeal to respond to queries follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his princely title and consented to give up his property in Windsor.

Files and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in records and flight logs secured from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been charged by one of Epstein’s survivors, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.

“The panel will investigate allegations of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will request data on Epstein’s operations, associates, and associates based on the men’s enduring and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.

It demanded particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has consistently strongly denied any impropriety.

Content of the Request

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

It added: “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 private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of abusing young girls. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, coupled with the freshly uncovered 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our belief that you may have key insights about the wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his partners in crime.”

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

Earlier Statements and Assistance

The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be summoned 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 ability to legally require the duke and Congress itself cannot force testimony from a overseas individual.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to cooperate to US demands for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s attorneys to inquire on his earlier promise that he was “ready to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.

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

Demands for Justice

The lawmaker said in a comment that “wealthy and powerful men have evaded the law for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the opportunity to be honest and provide justice for the affected individuals. The committee will not cease advocating for responsibility and openness for survivors of Epstein and his group of accomplices.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving evidence to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as news accounts of leaked documents, “it is crucial that Andrew assists with the active inquiry. If he is innocent, then he can prove his innocence.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our probe will demonstrate that, and the survivors will receive long overdue accountability. The monarchy’s actions stripping Andrew of his honors indicate there is additional to this story.”

The letter came on the same day the British king formally removed Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III publicly made the adjustment – 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.