The Duke of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, is facing mounting pressure from American investigators for his refusal to cooperate with their ongoing inquiry into the activities of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mounting Pressure from Across the Atlantic
Members of the powerful US House Oversight Committee have formally requested a transcribed interview with the former prince regarding his long-standing friendship with the disgraced financier. Epstein took his own life in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
After receiving no response, Democratic committee members Robert Garcia and Suhas Subramanyam publicly accused Andrew of hiding from scrutiny. In a strongly-worded statement, they said: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's silence in the face of the Oversight Democrat's demand for testimony speaks volumes.
The statement continued: 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. Our work will move forward with or without him.
A Deepening Royal Crisis
This international controversy compounds Andrew's domestic troubles. Earlier this month, he was stripped of his prince and Duke of York titles by King Charles. While he had previously agreed to stop using his HRH style, he had expected to retain his dukedom.
The title stripping came ahead of the publication of memoirs by the late Virginia Giuffre, who had accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. The prince vehemently denies this allegation.
Further damaging claims include allegations that Andrew attempted to enlist the Metropolitan Police to dig up information for a smear campaign against Ms Giuffre. The force confirmed it is looking into reports that, in 2011, Andrew passed Ms Giuffre's date of birth and social security number to his taxpayer-funded bodyguard and asked him to investigate.
Fergie's Potential Tell-All Interview
The scandal's repercussions are extending to Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. Royal insiders claim the former Duchess of York is now considering six-figure offers for a tell-all interview following the loss of her title.
Palace officials reportedly fear the 66-year-old could go rogue after being ousted from the Royal Family. A source revealed that there is concern she might say things that could cause embarrassment for King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Significant bids for an interview are said to have been made by US channels, alongside interest from networks in the Gulf States and the UK. However, her representatives are reportedly keen to avoid a repeat of Andrew's disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis.
An insider stated: Andrew has had his chances to tell his story. Now it's Fergie's time. They added that Ms Ferguson believes she has been harshly treated and was unaware of Epstein's activities.
In a concrete consequence of their fall from grace, Andrew and Sarah, who divorced over thirty years ago, have been told they must vacate their shared home, the 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor, by the end of January.
