🔗 Share this article

A US congressional committee investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he participate in a deposition as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s wrongdoings.

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

The written appeal to answer questions comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his HRH style and consented to vacate his property in Windsor.

Documents and Claims

Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in papers and aviation records secured from Epstein’s estate and made public by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

“The oversight committee will probe accusations of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek information on Epstein’s activities, network, and associates based on the men’s long-term and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a statement.

It requested particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York prison cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Substance of the Letter

“It has been widely reported that your relationship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you stayed connected through and after his 2008 conviction for procuring minors for prostitution,” the letter said.

It added: “It has also been reported that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York home, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s personal island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been charged of harming young girls. This intimate friendship with Mr Epstein, coupled with the newly disclosed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our belief that you may have key insights about the offenses committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

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

Previous Comments and Collaboration

The letter follows a week after another Democrat on the committee stated: “Andrew should be called to give evidence before the oversight committee. The public should be able to know who was harming women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”

However, the lawmaker does not have the authority to compel the ex-royal and Congress itself cannot compel evidence from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US agencies said that Mountbatten Windsor failed 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 approached Andrew’s lawyers to follow up on his public commitment that he was “prepared to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.

“It’s just for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered zero cooperation”.

Appeals for Accountability

The representative said in a comment that “rich and powerful men have avoided accountability for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and deliver accountability for the victims. The committee will not halt advocating for answerability and clarity for survivors of Epstein and his network of partners.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving testimony to the committee from Epstein’s survivors, as well as public reporting of disclosed papers, “it is essential that Andrew assists with the current investigation. If he is innocent, then he can vindicate himself.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our investigation will demonstrate that, and the affected individuals will receive belated justice. The monarchy’s actions stripping Andrew of his honors suggest there is more to this story.”

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