King Charles Faces Protest Concerning His Brother's Epstein Connections

In the course of a visit to Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, the King was heckled by a man who questioned him about his brother's links with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The protester demanded to know how long the King had been aware about his brother's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and also raised doubts about whether he had instructed the authorities to "hide" for Andrew.

Despite the protest, there were throngs of well-wishers and applause for the monarch, who was in Staffordshire for an ceremony.

The Duke of York's connections with Epstein have been under renewed focus in the past few weeks. The royal, who gave up his royal duties earlier this month, has strongly denied any misconduct.

"How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein? Have you asked the authorities to cover up for Andrew?"

The King ignored the questions but continued meeting fans, some of whom chanted "God Save The King". One supporter can be overheard asking him for a hug.

A female bystander outside the venue was also heard telling the protester to "go away" and to "be quiet".

Controversy Revived by Memoir

The scandal over Prince Andrew's connections to Epstein has been brought back into focus by misconduct allegations repeated in Virginia Giuffre's posthumously-published book.

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

Prince Andrew, who reached a out-of-court agreement with the plaintiff in 2022, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. In a previous interview, he told BBC Newsnight he did not recall meeting Ms Giuffre "at all", and that they "never had any sort of intimate relations."

Fresh Questions About Lifestyle and Housing

But in recent times, new inquiries have been asked about how he is able to finance his way of life despite not being a working royal.

The revelation that he has only ever paid a token annual rent on his Windsor mansion has intensified the examination over his housing situation - even though he made significant contributions initially, including for improvements.

The Liberal Democrats said he should be called in front of MPs to give testimony about his lease of his lodge.

But last Thursday, the authorities refused to give MPs time to discuss the royal's titles or his home, despite increasing calls for investigation.

The royal household has not commented on whether the Duke of York might move out of his current residence - or where he might reside.

Related Topics

• The Duke of York
• British Monarchy
• The Monarch