🔗 Share this article

A American legislative committee looking into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he undergo an interview as part of its investigation into Epstein’s wrongdoings.

In a document made public on Thursday, a lawmaker, the top Democrat on the House investigative committee, asked that King Charles III’s sibling assist with its probe.

The official demand to answer questions follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his princely title and agreed to vacate his leased home in Windsor.

Files and Claims

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

“The committee will investigate claims of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand information on Epstein’s network, network, and accomplices based on the men’s longstanding and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It demanded information from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his association with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has always vehemently rejected any misconduct.

Details of the Communication

“It has been documented that your association with Mr Epstein commenced in 1999 and that you continued associating 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 traveled with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of abusing minors. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, along with the recently revealed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our belief that you may have important details about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

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

Previous Remarks and Cooperation

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

However, the congressman does not hold the authority to subpoena the duke and Congress itself cannot compel testimony from a foreign national.

In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor failed to 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 check on his public commitment that he was “ready to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.

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

Appeals for Accountability

The congressman said in a comment that “wealthy and influential men have avoided the law for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and secure redress for the victims. The committee will not halt advocating for responsibility and clarity for survivors of Epstein and his gang of co-conspirators.”

Another endorser, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to evidence to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as public reporting of released files, “it is essential that Andrew works together with the active probe. If he is innocent, then he can prove his innocence.”

The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our investigation will reveal that, and the affected individuals will receive belated accountability. The royal household’s actions removing Andrew of his titles suggest there is further to this situation.”

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