Pressure is mounting on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as he faces a pivotal moment in the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal, having ignored a formal request from the United States Congress to provide testimony about his relationship with the convicted sex offender.
The Congressional Deadline Passes Unanswered
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform directly contacted the former prince by letter, setting a strict two-week deadline for him to respond regarding his connections to Epstein's sex trafficking network. This deadline has now passed without any reply from Andrew, raising serious questions about his willingness to cooperate with the international investigation.
This development comes amid escalating scrutiny of Andrew's ties to Epstein, which recently forced him to relinquish his royal titles and honours and agree to vacate his 30-room Royal Lodge mansion. The situation intensified earlier this year when leaked emails revealed Andrew had misled both the Palace and the public about when he actually severed ties with the disgraced financier.
Deepening Royal Crisis and Document Revelations
The Royal Family faced further embarrassment with the posthumous release of Virginia Giuffre's memoir, Nobody's Girl. The Epstein victim, who tragically died by suicide this year, accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her three times when she was a teenager - allegations he continues to vehemently deny.
More damning evidence emerged showing Andrew is the most frequently mentioned British name in the massive cache of 23,000 Jeffrey Epstein-linked documents handed to the US House Oversight Committee. While mere mention in the documents doesn't imply wrongdoing, his prominence significantly overshadows every other UK figure and highlights how thoroughly his downfall has become entangled with the Epstein scandal.
The last time Andrew publicly addressed his friendship with Epstein was during his disastrous 2019 BBC interview, widely condemned as a "car crash" performance that led to his immediate withdrawal from royal duties. He subsequently avoided questioning in 2022 when Virginia Giuffre brought a civil case against him in the US, settling out of court for a reported millions without any admission of guilt.
Political Protection and Legal Loopholes
Two Democratic committee members, Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, issued a scathing statement condemning Andrew's silence. They declared: "Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's silence in the face of the Oversight Democrat's demand for testimony speaks volumes. The documents we've reviewed, along with public records and Virginia Roberts Giuffre's testimony, raise serious questions he must answer."
However, according to Professor John E. Owens, an expert in United States Government and Politics at the University of Westminster, Andrew may continue to evade American justice due to political complexities. Professor Owens explained that Republican loyalty to Donald Trump creates a significant barrier, as Trump might be politically damaged by Andrew's testimony.
"Given the political stakes at issue here, and House Republicans' fealty to Trump, who may be damaged further politically by Mountbatten Windsor's testimony, it seems unlikely that the whole House would issue a contempt order," Owens stated. He added that even if Congress ruled Andrew in contempt, Trump's "politically subservient Department of Justice" would be unlikely to prosecute.
The expert noted that Andrew's non-US citizenship and residence outside America provide him with additional protection against compelled testimony. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently weighed in, stating that as a general principle, "anybody who has got relevant information in relation to these kind of cases should give that evidence to those that need it."
Separately, the Metropolitan Police is investigating claims that Andrew provided Giuffre's personal details to a royal protection officer, allegedly requesting the officer gather compromising information about his accuser. Two officers have reportedly been questioned already, though the Met hasn't officially referred itself to the police watchdog.
