Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, has been thrust back into the spotlight after receiving a formal request from the United States Congress to answer questions about his longstanding friendship with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move, spearheaded by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, comes amid mounting scrutiny of Andrew’s past connections and follows a series of dramatic developments in both the UK and US.
According to Sky News, the letter sent on November 6, 2025, is part of a wide-ranging investigation into Epstein’s sex trafficking operations and the web of enablers and co-conspirators who allegedly helped him evade justice for years. The committee, in its correspondence addressed to Andrew at Royal Lodge, Windsor Great Park—the residence he recently agreed to vacate—stated it had identified “financial records containing notations such as ‘massage for Andrew’ that raise serious questions.”
The letter, signed by 16 Democratic members of Congress, does not compel Andrew to testify, as the committee lacks subpoena power without Republican support. Instead, it requests that he “co-operate with the committee’s investigation by sitting for a transcribed interview with the committee.” The lawmakers explicitly cited “well-documented allegations” against Andrew, his “long-standing friendship” with Epstein, and a 2011 email exchange in which Andrew purportedly told Epstein, “we are in this together.”
“The committee is seeking to uncover the identities of Mr Epstein’s co-conspirators and enablers, and to understand the full extent of his criminal operations,” the letter reads. “Well-documented allegations against you, along with your long-standing friendship with Mr Epstein, indicate that you may possess knowledge of his activities relevant to our investigation. In the interest of justice for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, we request that you co-operate with the committee’s investigation by sitting for a transcribed interview with the committee.” (The Independent)
The committee has given Andrew until November 20 to respond. While the request is not legally binding, the public and political pressure is mounting. Representative Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, told CNN, “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.”
The timing of the congressional request is striking. Just one day earlier, King Charles III formally stripped Andrew of his “Royal Highness” style and “Prince” title, a move that capped years of controversy over Andrew’s relationship with Epstein. Buckingham Palace also announced that Andrew would be evicted from Royal Lodge, a home he has occupied since 2003. Royal sources told CNN that Andrew is expected to move to a house on the King’s private Sandringham estate after Christmas.
Andrew’s fall from grace has been accelerated by fresh allegations in the posthumous memoir of Virginia Giuffre, a prominent Epstein accuser who died by suicide in April 2025. Giuffre’s memoir, published in October, repeated claims that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times while being trafficked by Epstein—once at Ghislaine Maxwell’s London home, once at Epstein’s Manhattan residence, and once on Epstein’s private island, Little St James. Giuffre alleged the first incident occurred when she was just 17. Andrew has strenuously denied all allegations, maintaining he never met Giuffre.
Despite those denials, in 2022 Andrew reportedly paid millions to Giuffre to settle a civil case she brought against him. According to CNN, Giuffre wrote that Andrew “believed that having sex with me was his birthright.” She also claimed that Andrew’s “team” tried to hire “internet trolls” to harass her and that he hid behind the “well-guarded gates” of Balmoral Castle to avoid being served court papers. In her memoir, Giuffre detailed fears of retaliation and said the settlement included a one-year gag order designed to protect the royal family’s reputation.
The committee’s interest in Andrew is not limited to the allegations of abuse. Lawmakers are also probing efforts to “silence, intimidate, or threaten victims.” In October, London’s Metropolitan Police announced it was investigating reports that Andrew asked his police protection officers in 2011 to “dig up dirt” on Giuffre. The committee cited this as another reason for wanting to question Andrew, underscoring the breadth of its investigation into not just Epstein’s crimes but also the systems that may have shielded him and his associates.
Political leaders in the UK have weighed in. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, speaking from Brazil at the COP30 summit, told Sky News that whether Andrew appears before Congress “is a matter for him,” but added, “anybody who has relevant information should always be willing to give it to whatever inquiries need that information.” Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey went further, stating, “He should also give evidence to our Parliament. The public deserve answers and full transparency about this scandal.”
There is also a growing call from victims’ advocates for Andrew to testify. Spencer Kuvin, a lawyer representing some of Epstein’s victims, told BBC News, “We need to hear his story and hear what he is saying about what occurred, but also he could testify about other potential co-conspirators that he saw that may have been present at the mansions here in the States that were doing inappropriate activities.”
Meanwhile, the scope of the Epstein investigation continues to widen. Local politicians in New Mexico are scrutinizing Epstein’s Zorro Ranch, a sprawling property near Santa Fe with a hilltop mansion and private runway, amid claims that sex trafficking activity may have taken place there as well. Democratic Representative Andrea Romero has proposed a “truth commission” to investigate what officials knew, how crimes were reported or unreported, and how to prevent such abuses from happening again. “This commission will specifically seek the truth about what officials knew, how crimes were unreported or reported, and how the state can ensure that this essentially never happens again,” Romero said.
While the US House Oversight Committee’s request remains just that—a request—its significance is hard to overstate. The letter marks the first time a senior member of the British royal family has been formally asked by US lawmakers to account for their relationship with Epstein. Although Andrew’s legal jeopardy in the US remains uncertain, the political and public stakes are enormous, and the world is watching closely to see how he responds.
The events of the past weeks have left the former prince increasingly isolated, both from the royal family and from the protections that once shielded him. Whether Andrew chooses to cooperate with US authorities or continue to resist calls for transparency may well shape not only his own future, but also the broader quest for justice in the Epstein saga.
