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A American legislative panel probing sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he submit to questioning as part of its probe into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a letter released on Thursday, a US representative, the leading Democrat on the House oversight panel, asked that King Charles III’s younger brother cooperate with its inquiry.

The written appeal to provide testimony comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his princely title and opted to give up his leased home in Windsor.

Records and Accusations

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

“The committee will examine allegations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek data on Epstein’s network, network, and accomplices based on the men’s longstanding and thoroughly recorded friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It sought information from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his association with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Substance of the Letter

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

It stated further: “It has also been claimed that you traveled with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of abusing underage individuals. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, combined with the freshly uncovered 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further confirms our belief that you may have key insights about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

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

Previous Remarks and Collaboration

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

However, the lawmaker does not possess the power to compel the former prince and Congress itself cannot force evidence from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor did not respond to US appeals for an meeting. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s lawyers to follow up on his public commitment that he was “willing to help any appropriate 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 absolutely no cooperation”.

Appeals for Transparency

The representative said in a comment that “affluent and powerful men have avoided justice for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the chance to tell the truth and secure justice for the affected individuals. The committee will not halt advocating for answerability and clarity for survivors of Epstein and his network of partners.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving testimony to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as media coverage of leaked documents, “it is crucial that Andrew cooperates with the current inquiry. If he is blameless, then he can prove his innocence.”

The lawmaker continued: “And if not, our investigation will show that, and the survivors will receive long overdue justice. The royal household’s actions taking away Andrew of his titles suggest there is further to this story.”

The letter came on the same day the British king officially removed Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III formally made the change – which had been declared a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the royal office made public in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.