For Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, that moment has arrived again, and with a force that shatters any illusion, his troubles surrounding Jeffrey Epstein were quietly fading
There comes a moment when scandal can no longer be waved away as unfortunate headlines or an unfair obsession.
For Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, that moment has arrived again, and with a force that shatters any illusion, his troubles were quietly fading. House Democrats in the United States have formally asked him to provide evidence in their congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal network.
It is the clearest sign yet that the world has not moved on, and that accountability over his friendship with his paedophile pal, however delayed, remains owed. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, has written to the former Duke of York, requesting that he take part in a transcribed interview. The request, co-signed by 13 other Democrats, says the committee is seeking to “understand the full extent of [Epstein’s] criminal operations” and sets a response deadline of November 20.
The disgraced royal, who denies wrongdoing, is named in documents obtained and released by the committee, including flight logs. Garcia says the investigation is attempting to identify “co-conspirators and enablers.” That language is deliberate and pointed.
This is not idle curiosity; it is a pursuit.
Andrew is not legally compelled to comply. Congress cannot force testimony from foreign nationals, and Garcia does not have subpoena power.
The request also does not carry the backing of the committee’s Republican majority, who dismissed it in partisan fashion. But the political bickering in Washington, while predictable, does not negate the significance of the moment. The United States still wants answers. And survivors still deserve them.
Garcia said: “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. Oversight Democrats will not stop fighting for accountability and transparency for survivors of Epstein and his gang of co-conspirators.”
For years, Andrew has attempted to wait out the outrage, to let time dull the scandal’s edges. It has not, and it will not. There is no path forward for him that does not involve scrutiny.
He settled with Virginia Giuffre for a reported £12million in 2022, without admitting liability.
He told the BBC he had “no recollection” of meeting her and suggested he would testify “under the right circumstances.” If such circumstances ever existed, they do now.
Yet the damage is irreparable. Giuffre’s memoir. The famous photograph of them together. The visits to Epstein’s island and private plane acknowledged by Andrew himself.
More recently, a published email allegedly sent to Epstein in 2011 read: “… keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!” And then the consequences: stripped of his “prince” title by his own brother. Getting evicted from the grace-and-favour mansion he once assumed would be his for life.
Expected to retreat to Sandringham like a scandal being swept under an expensive rug. Public life has no place for him. Royal life has expelled him. Private life now comes with legal shadows that stretch across oceans.
This is not a scandal that can be managed by silence. It is one that demands daylight. And that daylight is now shining from Washington. The United States is still pursuing answers. And this time, Andrew has nowhere left to hide. Once known as “Air Miles Andy”, he now appears to be permanently grounded.
