Title: Calls for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to Testify Before US Congress Amid Epstein Revelations
In a significant development regarding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s connections to the late Jeffrey Epstein, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged the former prince to testify before the US Congress. Starmer, currently in Japan for discussions with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, was questioned by reporters about Mountbatten-Windsor’s potential need to apologize to Epstein’s victims and provide evidence regarding his knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities.
Mountbatten-Windsor, who lost his royal titles last year due to the fallout from his association with Epstein, is prominently featured in recently released documents from the US Justice Department. These files, made public on Friday, include disturbing imagery and emails indicating that Mountbatten-Windsor invited Epstein to Buckingham Palace in September 2010, just two years after Epstein was convicted of soliciting underage girls for sex.
US Representative Suhas Subramanyam, a Democratic member of the House Oversight Committee, previously requested Mountbatten-Windsor to participate in a deposition related to the investigation into Epstein’s case. Subramanyam accused Mountbatten-Windsor of evasion, stating, “He has been hiding from us, and I think he will continue to try to hide from meaningful investigations into this matter.”
In response to the latest revelations, Starmer emphasized the importance of prioritizing Epstein’s victims. He remarked, “I have always approached this question with the victims of Epstein in mind… Anyone with information should be prepared to share it in whatever form they are asked to do so. You can’t be victim-centered if you’re not prepared to do that.”
The newly released documents also reveal that a month prior to the Buckingham Palace invitation, Epstein had proposed a dinner arrangement for Mountbatten-Windsor with a “clever, beautiful and trustworthy” 26-year-old Russian woman. Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly expressed enthusiasm about the meeting and asked Epstein if he enjoyed being free from house arrest.
In a troubling contradiction to his previous claims, Mountbatten-Windsor was photographed with Epstein in Central Park later that year. During a notorious 2019 interview with BBC’s Newsnight, he asserted that he had traveled to the US to end his friendship with Epstein following the latter’s conviction. However, emails indicate that a lavish dinner in Mountbatten-Windsor’s honor was organized by publicist Peggy Siegal at Epstein’s New York residence during this trip.
The correspondence between Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein further reveals that he continued to share personal family photos, including images of his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. In 2022, Mountbatten-Windsor agreed to a reported £12 million settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was coerced into sexual relations with him after being trafficked by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, a close acquaintance of the former prince. Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The scandal surrounding his connections to Epstein has led to his ostracism from royal circles, compounded by revelations that his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, also maintained ties with Epstein after his conviction. Ferguson once described Epstein as the “brother I always wished for” and received financial assistance from him.
Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for new charges of child sex abuse, left a trail of controversies. The newly released documents also implicate other prominent British figures. Labour peer Peter Mandelson faced scrutiny after receiving £10,000 from Epstein in the year following his conviction, purportedly to fund an osteopathy course. Mandelson has since admitted it was a mistake to maintain ties with Epstein.
Notable entrepreneur Richard Branson was also linked to Epstein, having met him in 2013 at his private Necker Island. In a message to Epstein, Branson offered advice on managing his reputation post-conviction, suggesting that he could leverage endorsements from influential figures to rehabilitate his image.
In light of these revelations, public sentiment is growing for accountability and transparency regarding Mountbatten-Windsor’s actions and his connections to Epstein. As the investigation unfolds, the focus remains on justice for Epstein’s victims and the broader implications of powerful individuals’ relationships with the disgraced financier.
