King Charles Confronts Protest Concerning His Brother's Jeffrey Epstein Links
In the course of a visit to Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, the King was confronted by a man who questioned him about Prince Andrew's links with convicted sex offender Epstein.
The individual inquired how long the monarch had been aware about his brother's association with Epstein, and also raised doubts about whether he had instructed the authorities to "hide" for Andrew.
Despite the heckling, there were large groups of supporters and applause for the monarch, who was visiting Staffordshire for an event.
The Duke of York's associations with Epstein have been under intense scrutiny in the past few weeks. The prince, who gave up his royal duties earlier this month, has strongly denied any misconduct.
"How long have you known about Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein? Did you request the police to conceal for him?"
The King did not respond but continued meeting supporters, some of whom shouted "God Save The King". One supporter can be overheard requesting him for a hug.
A female bystander outside the venue was also heard telling the heckler to "leave" and to "be quiet".
Controversy Revived by Posthumous Publication
The scandal over Prince Andrew's connections to Epstein has been revived by misconduct allegations repeated in Ms. Giuffre's posthumously-published memoir.
In the publication, Ms Giuffre says she had sexual encounters with the royal on three separate occasions, including once with Jeffrey Epstein and "several other minors"
Andrew, who agreed to a financial settlement with the plaintiff in 2022, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In a previous interview, he told BBC Newsnight he did not recall meeting Ms Giuffre "ever", and that they "never had any sort of intimate relations."
New Inquiries Over Finances and Housing
But in recent times, new inquiries 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 token annual rent on his Royal Lodge has heightened the scrutiny over his housing situation - even though he made large payments initially, including for improvements.
The Liberal Democrats said he should be summoned front of members of parliament to give testimony about his rental agreement of his residence.
But last week, the government refused to give MPs time to debate the prince's titles or his residence, despite growing pressure for investigation.
The royal household has not commented on whether Prince Andrew might move out of his home - or where he might reside.
Related Topics
- The Duke of York
- British Monarchy
- The Monarch