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A American legislative body investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he submit to a deposition as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s wrongdoings.

In a document published on Thursday, a lawmaker, the leading Democrat on the House oversight committee, asked that King Charles III’s sibling assist with its probe.

The written appeal to provide testimony comes a week after Mountbatten Windsor was relieved of his princely title and opted to vacate his leased home in Windsor.

Documents and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in papers and flight logs obtained 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 sexual assault.

“The oversight committee will probe allegations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand data on Epstein’s network, associates, and connections based on the men’s longstanding and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.

It requested details from Mountbatten Windsor on specifics of his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has always strongly denied any misconduct.

Substance of the Communication

“It has been publicly reported that your relationship 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 added: “It has also been alleged that you traveled with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s estate at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been alleged of assaulting young girls. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, coupled with the freshly uncovered 2011 email exchange in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our belief that you may have important details about the wrongdoings committed by Mr Epstein and his co-conspirators.”

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

Previous Comments and Cooperation

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 lawmaker does not hold the authority to compel the former prince and Congress itself cannot force evidence from a foreign national.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor did not cooperate to US demands for an interview. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had reached out to Andrew’s attorneys to follow up on his previous pledge that he was “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.

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

Demands for Transparency

The representative said in a statement that “affluent and influential men have escaped justice for far too long. Now, one-time Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and secure redress for the victims. We will not halt pushing for responsibility and clarity for those affected of Epstein and his group of co-conspirators.”

Another signatory, a Virginia Democrat, said that after listening to evidence to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as news accounts of leaked documents, “it is crucial that Andrew assists with the active investigation. If he is blameless, then he can clear his name.”

The lawmaker stated further: “And if not, our examination will demonstrate that, and the victims will receive much-delayed redress. The monarchy’s actions stripping Andrew of his titles indicate there is additional to this case.”

The letter was sent on the same day the British king publicly removed Mountbatten Windsor of his HRH style. Charles III officially made the alteration – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “official document” which the crown office published in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.