Former British prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has been summoned to appear before a US congressional panel investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mr Mountbatten Windsor, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s second son, has been sent a letter by Democratic members of the House Committee on Oversight, requesting he submit to questioning.
In a statement, published on Thursday, local time, the committee said it would investigate “allegations of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will seek information on Epstein’s operations, network, and associates based on the men’s longstanding and well-documented friendship”.
“Rich and powerful men have evaded justice for far too long. Now, former prince Andrew has the opportunity to come clean and provide justice for the survivors,” Congressman Robert Garcia said.
“Oversight Democrats will not stop fighting for accountability and transparency for survivors of Epstein and his gang of co-conspirators.”
The US Congress has sweeping powers to subpoena people it wants to question; however, they do not apply to foreign nationals, meaning Mr Mountbatten Windsor cannot be compelled to testify.
The former royal has until November 20 to respond.
The former prince has been described as a close friend of Epstein’s between 1999 and 2008.
Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in Western Australia earlier this year, had alleged she was trafficked by Epstein to Mr Mountbatten Windsor as a teenager, and that the then-Duke of York had sexually abused her.
He denies any wrongdoing.
He stepped back from royal duties in 2019 amid a deluge of public pressure, after a disastrous interview with the BBC’s Newsnight program, in which he maintained his innocence in the face of those allegations.
Last month, Ms Giuffre’s posthumously released memoir went on sale.
In it, she alleged Mr Mountbatten Windsor “believed having sex with me was his birthright”.
She claimed she met the former prince on multiple occasions, including at an orgy on Epstein’s private island.
Earlier this year, Democrats in the US released records listing Mr Mountbatten Windsor as a passenger on Epstein’s private jet, and financial records that they allege show possible evidence of payments from Epstein for “massages for Andrew”.
A US Federal Court lawsuit, brought by Ms Giuffre against Mr Mountbatten Windsor for sexual assault, was settled in February 2022.
While the exact terms were never made public, it’s been estimated Mr Mountbatten Windsor paid about $US16 million ($22.75 million at the time) as part of the deal struck with Ms Giuffre.
Removal of Andrew’s royal titles now in effect
It was announced last month that Mr Mountbatten Windsor’s royal titles would be removed.
A new entry into Britain’s official public record, The Gazette, has shown that has now come into effect.
“The King has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm … to declare that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor shall no longer be entitled to hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of ‘Royal Highness’ and the titular dignity of ‘Prince’,” the record says.
King Charles III has also stripped his brother of the living arrangements he had on the Windsor estate, near London, which meant the 30-room mansion Mr Mountbatten Windsor had called home was the subject of a so-called “peppercorn lease”.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019.
Timeline of Prince Andrew’s demise
Tap the boxes below to see the key dates in the series of events that ended with Andrew being stripped of his royal titles and told to leave home.
2001 – 2011
March, 2001: Photo taken of Prince Andrew with Virginia Giuffre (then known as Virginia Roberts) and Ghislaine Maxwell in London — allegedly by late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
December, 2010: Prince Andrew photographed with Epstein in Central Park, New York — after Epstein was released from prison on a sexual offence charge
February 21, 2011: celebrity.land publishes photo of Andrew and Epstein with headline “Prince and perv”
February 27, 2011: Daily Mail publishes interview with Virginia Giuffre and the now infamous photo — but article stops short of accusing him of misconduct
February 28, 2011: Prince Andrew allegedly emails Epstein saying “we’re in this together” and “we’ll play some more soon” in reference to negative press
2015 – 2019
Janaury, 2015: Allegations Prince Andrew has sex with a minor made public as part of lawsuit against Epstein
January, 2015: Daily Mail publishes story identifying Virginia Roberts as the victim in the case, including details of the night of the alleged offence
July, 2019: Epstein arrested on sex trafficking charges
August, 2019: Epstein found dead in his jail cell
November 16, 2019: Prince Andrew gives lengthy interview with BBC denying sexual abuse allegations, saying he does not sweat, he cut off contact with Epstein in December 2010 and questioning the legitimacy of the 2001 photo
November 20, 2019: Prince Andrew steps back from public duties “for the foreseeable future” because his relations with Epstein became “a major disruption”
2021 – 2025
September, 2021: Prince Andrew served with sexual assault civil lawsuit papers, lodged in the US by Virginia Giuffre
October, 2021: British police say they will not be taking further action after conducting a review of evidence relating to sex crime allegations against Prince Andrew
Janaury, 2022: Prince Andrew is stripped of his honorary military titles after a judge rejects his bid to have the civil lawsuit dismissed — but he remains a prince and the Duke of York
February, 2022: Prince Andrew reaches a settlement with Virginia Giuffre in her civil case, agreeing to make a donation to her victims’ rights charity
September, 2024: Prince Andrew told to pay for the upkeep of the 30-room Royal Lodge mansion he rents from the Crown Estate if he wants to keep living there, the BBC reports
December 14, 2024: Prince Andrew says he “ceased all contact” with an unnamed businessman accused of being a Chinese spy
February, 2025: Court documents made public reveal email sent to Epstein saying “we’re in this together” and “we’ll play soon” from a member of the royal family — who British media says it’s believed that was Prince Andrew
April, 2025: Virginia Giuffre dies by suicide, with her family calling her a “fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking”
September, 2025: Multiple charities cut ties with Prince Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson after it is revealed she emailed Epstein calling him “a supreme friend” in 2011
October 12, 2025: The Daily Mail and The Sun claim to have confirmed the email was sent from Prince Andrew — contradicting his assertion he cut off contacts with Epstein in December 2010
October 15, 2025: Extracts of Virginia Giuffre’s memoir published by British media revive allegations against Prince Andrew
October 16, 2015: British newspaper The Telegraph publishes story linking Prince Andrew with a different “Chinese spymaster”
October 17, 2025: Prince Andrew announces he will no longer use his titles and honours while “vigorously” denying allegations — however, he has not been stripped of his Dukedom and is referred to as a prince
October 21, 2025: The BBC reveals details of Prince Andrew’s “peppercorn” lease of Royal Lodge amid growing scrutiny in his lavish living arrangements
October 30, 2025: Prince Andrew is stripped of his royal titles and told to leave Royal Lodge — he is now referred to as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor
November 7, 2025: Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is summoned by US Congressional panel over Epstein ties
November 7, 2025: Britain’s public record officially announces the removal of Andrew’s royal titles
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.abc.net.au ’
