House Panel Requests Questioning with Prince Andrew in Epstein Inquiry

A American legislative committee investigating pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has sent a letter to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he undergo an interview as part of its inquiry into Epstein’s wrongdoings.

In a document released on Thursday, a US representative, the top Democrat on the House oversight panel, requested that King Charles III’s younger brother cooperate with its inquiry.

The written appeal to respond to queries arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his HRH style and opted to give up his property in Windsor.

Records and Claims

Mountbatten Windsor’s name appears in records and flight logs secured from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been accused by one of Epstein’s accusers, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

“The panel will investigate accusations of misconduct by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand details on Epstein’s activities, network, and accomplices based on the men’s longstanding and extensively reported friendship,” the committee said in a announcement.

It requested particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on details of his friendship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. Andrew has repeatedly categorically denied any misconduct.

Content of the Letter

“It has been publicly reported that your association with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you continued associating through and after his 2008 conviction for procuring minors for sex work,” the letter said.

It stated further: “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 alleged of abusing underage individuals. This close relationship with Mr Epstein, combined with the newly disclosed 2011 electronic correspondence in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further supports our concern that you may have valuable information about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his partners in crime.”

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

Past Comments and Cooperation

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

However, the lawmaker does not have the authority to compel the duke and Congress itself cannot oblige testimony from a overseas individual.

In 2020, US officials said that Mountbatten Windsor did not 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 contacted Andrew’s attorneys to check on his previous pledge that he was “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency”.

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

Demands for Justice

The representative said in a statement that “rich and powerful men have evaded justice for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the chance to come clean and secure redress for the affected individuals. The committee will not halt pushing for answerability and transparency for victims of Epstein and his network of partners.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after hearing testimony to the committee from Epstein’s accusers, as well as public reporting of leaked documents, “it is essential that Andrew cooperates with the active investigation. If he is not guilty, then he can vindicate himself.”

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

The letter came on the same day the British king publicly removed Mountbatten Windsor of his royal title. Charles III officially made the change – which had been revealed a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the monarch’s office published in the Gazette, the UK’s public registry.

Susan Clarke
Susan Clarke

Elara is a city planner and writer passionate about sustainable urban development and community engagement.