King Charles Faces Heckling Concerning His Brother's Jeffrey Epstein Links
In the course of a public appearance to Lichfield Cathedral on the start of the week, King Charles was heckled by a man who questioned him about Prince Andrew's links with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The man demanded to know how long the King had been known about his brother's relationship with Epstein, and also questioned whether he had asked the authorities to "hide" for Andrew.
Despite the heckling, there were large groups of fans and applause for the monarch, who was visiting the region for an engagement.
Prince Andrew's connections with Epstein have been under close examination in the past few weeks. The royal, who relinquished his titles earlier this month, has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
"How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein? Did you request the authorities to conceal for Andrew?"
The monarch ignored the questions but continued greeting supporters, some of whom chanted "Long live the King". One fan can be overheard asking him for a hug.
A female bystander outside the cathedral was also heard telling the protester to "go away" and to "be quiet".
Controversy Reignited by Posthumous Publication
The controversy over the Duke of York's connections to Jeffrey Epstein has been revived by misconduct claims repeated in Virginia Giuffre's posthumously-published memoir.
In the publication, Ms Giuffre claims she had sexual encounters with the prince on multiple times, including one instance with Jeffrey Epstein and "eight other young girls"
Prince Andrew, who agreed to a financial settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In 2019, he told a news program he did not remember meeting her "at all", and that they "never had any sort of sexual contact."
Fresh Questions Over Finances and Housing
But in recent times, fresh questions have been raised about how he is able to fund his lifestyle despite not being a active member of the royal family.
The revelation that he has only ever paid a nominal fee on his Windsor mansion has heightened the examination over his housing situation - even though he made large payments up front, including for improvements.
The political party said he should be summoned front of MPs to give evidence about his rental agreement of his residence.
But last week, the authorities declined to give MPs time to discuss the royal's titles or his residence, despite growing pressure for investigation.
Buckingham Palace has not issued a statement on whether Prince Andrew might relocate of his home - or where he might go.
Related Topics
- Prince Andrew
- UK Royal Family
- The Monarch