Now US lawmakers call for Prince Andrew to reveal what he knew about Epstein
Calls for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to answer questions about his US friendship with Jeffrey Epstein have intensified after the former prince was stripped of his titles.
King Charles was deposed Andrew’s royal titles and on Thursday she confirmed she would evict the disgraced royal from her mansion in the grounds of Windsor Castle, amid outrage over new allegations linked to her relationship with sex offender Epstein. Buckingham Palace said the censures were necessary despite Andrew continuing to deny the allegations against him.
Lawmakers in the US have stepped up calls for Andrew to pass information about Epstein’s crimes to the House Oversight Committee; dignitaries say he could even speak to a congressional committee remotely via a video link.
The BBC reported that at least four Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating the US government’s handling of the Epstein case, have renewed their call for Andrew to testify.
Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said he would be willing to formally subpoena Andrew to testify, but acknowledged it might be difficult to persuade the former prince outside the United States.
“But if Andrew wants to come to the US or is here, then he is subject to the jurisdiction of the US Congress and I would expect him to testify,” he told the BBC.
“At the end of the day, we want to know exactly what happened, not only to bring justice to the survivors, but also to prevent this from happening again.
“Confess, come before the US Congress, testify voluntarily, do not wait for a subpoena, come and testify and tell us what you know.
“Not only to bring justice to the survivors, but also to prevent this from happening again.”
Another Democratic Congressman, Suhas Subramanyam, said Andrew could appear remotely with an attorney and speak to the panel privately.
He added: “If he wants to clear his name, if he wants to do the right thing by the victims, he will come forward.
“Everyone should be taken care of, no matter who they are – American or not.”
Buckingham Palace has been asked for comment.
On Friday, UK Trade Secretary Chris Bryant told the BBC that Andrew should travel to the US to answer questions about Epstein.
“Like any ordinary member of the public, if there were such requests from another jurisdiction, I would expect any sane person to comply with that request,” he said. “So in this situation I feel exactly the same.
“Basically what I’m saying is that if Andrew was asked to do something by a Senate committee, then I would think he would want to comply.”
The UK police watchdog said it had contacted the Metropolitan Police to ask whether there were matters it needed to investigate in light of recent media reports.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it had contacted Scotland Yard’s Professional Standards Directorate last week but had not yet received any guidance.
