The Monarch Faces Heckling Over His Brother's Epstein Links

In the course of a public appearance to a cathedral in Staffordshire on the start of the week, the King was confronted by a protester who asked him about Prince Andrew's links with convicted sex offender Epstein.

The individual asked how long the King had been aware about his brother's association with Jeffrey Epstein, and also questioned whether he had instructed the police to "conceal" for Andrew.

Amid the protest, there were large groups of fans and applause for the King, who was visiting Staffordshire for an event.

Prince Andrew's links with Epstein have been under close examination in the past few weeks. The royal, who relinquished his royal duties earlier this month, has strongly denied any misconduct.

"How long have you been aware about Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein? Have you asked the police to conceal for him?"

The monarch did not respond but continued greeting fans, some of whom chanted "God Save The King". One fan can be heard asking him for a embrace.

A female bystander outside the cathedral was also heard telling the protester to "leave" and to "be quiet".

Scandal Reignited by Posthumous Publication

The controversy over the Duke of York's connections to Jeffrey Epstein has been reignited by sexual abuse claims repeated in Ms. Giuffre's recently released memoir.

In the publication, Ms Giuffre says she had sexual encounters with the prince on multiple times, including one instance with Epstein and "several other minors"

Andrew, who agreed to a financial settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, has repeatedly denied any misconduct. In 2019, he told BBC Newsnight he did not remember meeting Ms Giuffre "ever", and that they "never had any sort of intimate relations."

New Inquiries About Lifestyle and Living Arrangements

But in recent times, fresh questions have been asked about how he is able to fund his lifestyle despite not being a working royal.

The disclosure that he has only ever paid a nominal fee on his Royal Lodge has heightened the scrutiny over his living arrangements - even though he made large payments up front, including for renovations.

The political party said he should be called in before members of parliament to give testimony about his lease of his residence.

But last week, the authorities declined to give MPs time to debate the royal's status or his home, despite growing pressure for investigation.

Buckingham Palace has not issued a statement on whether the Duke of York might move out of his current residence - or where he might reside.

Related Topics

• Prince Andrew
• British Monarchy
• King Charles III