Prime Minister Keir Starmer has intensified pressure on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to cooperate with a US congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, stating that anyone with relevant information in child sexual offence cases should disclose it. Starmer's comments come after the former prince failed to respond to an interview request from the House oversight committee.
Asked whether Mountbatten-Windsor should respond to the committee, Starmer said: "I won't comment on his particular case. But as a general principle I've held for a very long time is that anybody who has got relevant information in relation to these kind of cases should give that evidence to those that need it." He added that it was a "decision for him" but reiterated his position that relevant information should be shared.
Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles last month, had a long friendship with Epstein and is alleged to have sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre, allegations he denies. The committee is investigating Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Members wrote to Mountbatten-Windsor asking for an interview with a deadline of 20 November.
Two Democrats on the committee, Robert Garcia and Suhas Subramanyam, said this week the former prince had not responded by the deadline. They stated his silence "speaks volumes" and that "the documents we've reviewed, along with public records and Virginia Roberts Giuffre's testimony, raise serious questions he must answer, yet he continues to hide." They vowed to hold anyone involved accountable, regardless of wealth or status.
However, the Democrats are unlikely to compel Mountbatten-Windsor to testify without Republican backing. Committee chair James Comer has not indicated whether he would seek to force testimony. If a subpoena were issued, Mountbatten-Windsor could avoid penalties by not entering the US.
