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A American legislative body probing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has formally written to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, previously Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he participate in questioning as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s wrongdoings.

In a letter published on Thursday, a California congressman, the senior Democrat on the House investigative committee, asked that King Charles III’s younger brother cooperate with its investigation.

The official demand to respond to queries follows a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his royal title and opted to surrender his property in Windsor.

Files and Accusations

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

“The committee will probe accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek data on Epstein’s network, network, and connections based on the men’s enduring and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It demanded particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his friendship with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has always strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Substance of the Letter

“It has been publicly reported that your association with Mr Epstein commenced in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for procuring minors for prostitution,” the letter said.

It added: “It has also been alleged that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York property, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of harming young girls. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, along 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 wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

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

Previous Statements and Assistance

The letter comes a week after another Democrat on the committee told: “Andrew should be asked to appear before the panel. The people deserves to know who was assaulting women and young girls alongside Epstein.”

However, the congressman does not have the power to legally require the duke and Congress itself cannot oblige statements from a foreign national.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor did not reply to US demands for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that prosecutors and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s attorneys to check on his earlier promise that he was “willing to help any suitable law enforcement agency”.

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

Calls for Accountability

The congressman said in a comment that “rich and well-connected men have evaded the law for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and deliver redress for the affected individuals. Oversight Democrats will not cease advocating for accountability and openness for victims 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 accusers, as well as public reporting of released files, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the current investigation. If he is blameless, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our examination will demonstrate that, and the survivors will receive long overdue redress. The monarchy’s actions stripping Andrew of his titles suggest there is more to this situation.”

The letter was issued on the same day the British king officially stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III formally made the adjustment – which had been announced a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the royal office released in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.