Members of a US congressional committee investigating the Jeffrey Epstein case have renewed calls for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to answer questions about his relationship with the late financier and convicted sex offender.
The move comes after King Charles stripped Andrew of his title of prince and ordered him to vacate his residence within the Windsor Castle grounds. The decision, announced on Thursday, follows years of public criticism and damaging headlines surrounding Andrew’s alleged conduct.
Buckingham Palace said the disciplinary measures were necessary, even though Andrew has continued to deny the allegations against him. The statement, which expressed sympathy for victims of abuse, prompted fresh demands from US lawmakers for Andrew to cooperate with investigators.
According to the BBC, at least four Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee, which is examining the US government’s handling of the Epstein case, have urged Andrew to testify.
One of them, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, said: “Come clean, come before the US Congress, voluntarily testify, don’t wait for a subpoena come and testify and tell us what you know. Not just to give justice to the survivors but to prevent this from ever happening again.”
Another Democratic lawmaker, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, suggested that Andrew could appear remotely with legal representation and provide private testimony to the panel.
In the UK, Trade Minister Chris Bryant told the BBC on Friday that Andrew should travel to the United States to face questioning.
Meanwhile, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed on Saturday that it had contacted the Metropolitan Police “to understand if there are any matters that would meet the criteria for a referral to us,” following media reports about Andrew.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said the force had previously concluded, in 2016, that “other jurisdictions and organisations” were better placed to pursue the specific allegations and therefore decided not to launch a full criminal investigation.
