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A American legislative body probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he submit to a deposition as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s criminal operations.

In a document released on Thursday, a US representative, the leading Democrat on the House oversight committee, asked that King Charles III’s brother cooperate with its probe.

The formal request to provide testimony follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his princely title and agreed to give up his property in Windsor.

Files and Allegations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in papers and aviation records obtained from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of misconduct.

“The committee will examine claims of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand details on Epstein’s network, associates, and associates based on the men’s long-term and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It requested information 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 impropriety.

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 sex work,” the letter said.

It continued: “It has also been reported that you traveled with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of assaulting minors. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, coupled with the recently revealed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our concern that you may have important details about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

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

Past Remarks and Collaboration

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be asked to appear before the committee. The public has the right to know who was abusing women and young girls alongside Epstein.”

However, the representative does not hold the power to legally require the former prince and Congress itself cannot compel evidence from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to respond to US demands for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s attorneys to follow up on his public commitment that he was “ready to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.

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

Appeals for Transparency

The congressman said in a comment that “affluent and influential men have evaded the law for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the chance to be honest and deliver accountability for the affected individuals. We will not stop advocating for answerability and openness for victims of Epstein and his group of partners.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing accounts to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as news accounts of leaked documents, “it is crucial that Andrew cooperates with the current probe. If he is innocent, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our probe will show that, and the victims will receive belated accountability. The Royal Family’s actions removing Andrew of his styles indicate there is more to this story.”

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