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A American legislative body looking into pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, asking that he submit to a deposition as part of its probe into Epstein’s criminal operations.

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

The official demand to answer questions follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his princely title and opted to vacate his rented residence in Windsor.

Files and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in papers and travel logs secured from Epstein’s estate and disclosed by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

“The panel will investigate accusations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek data on Epstein’s network, associates, and connections based on the men’s enduring and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.

It sought particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his relationship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has always vehemently rejected any misconduct.

Substance of the Request

“It has been documented that your association with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for procuring minors for prostitution,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been reported that you went with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s secluded island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of assaulting minors. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, coupled with the newly disclosed 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our suspicion that you may have key insights about the wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

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

Earlier Comments and Cooperation

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

However, the congressman does not possess the power to compel the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot force testimony from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor neglected to reply to US appeals for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that authorities and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s legal team to inquire on his previous pledge that he was “prepared to help any appropriate 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 “provided zero cooperation”.

Calls for Transparency

The lawmaker said in a comment that “rich and well-connected men have escaped justice for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the opportunity to tell the truth and deliver redress for the survivors. The committee will not cease pushing for answerability and openness for victims of Epstein and his group of partners.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing testimony to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as media coverage of released files, “it is crucial that Andrew cooperates with the current inquiry. If he is blameless, then he can vindicate himself.”

The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our probe will reveal that, and the affected individuals will receive much-delayed justice. The royal household’s actions stripping Andrew of his styles show there is more to this story.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king formally removed Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III publicly made the adjustment – which had been declared a week ago – by issuing a “royal decree” which the monarch’s office published in the Gazette, the UK’s official public record.