King Charles Encounters Heckling Concerning His Brother's Jeffrey Epstein Ties
During a visit to a cathedral in Staffordshire on Monday, the King was heckled by a man who questioned him about his brother's relationship with convicted sex offender Epstein.
The man inquired how long the monarch had been known about his sibling's relationship with Epstein, and also raised doubts about whether he had asked the authorities to "conceal" for Prince Andrew.
Amid the heckling, there were large groups of fans and applause for the King, who was in the region for an ceremony.
The Duke of York's associations with Jeffrey Epstein have been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks. The prince, who gave up his titles earlier this month, has strongly denied any misconduct.
"How long have you known about Prince Andrew and Epstein? Did you request the authorities to cover up for Andrew?"
The monarch did not respond but carried on meeting supporters, some of whom chanted "God Save The King". One fan can be heard asking him for a embrace.
A female bystander outside the venue was also heard telling the protester to "leave" and to "shut up".
Scandal Reignited by Memoir
The controversy over the Duke of York's links to Epstein has been brought back into focus by misconduct allegations detailed in Virginia Giuffre's recently released memoir.
In the memoir, Ms Giuffre claims she had sexual encounters with the royal on three separate occasions, including one instance with Epstein and "several other minors"
Andrew, who agreed to a out-of-court agreement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, has repeatedly denied any misconduct. In 2019, he told BBC Newsnight he did not recall meeting Ms Giuffre "ever", and that they "never had any sort of sexual contact."
New Inquiries About Lifestyle and Housing
But in recent times, new inquiries have been asked about how he is able to fund his way of life despite not being a active member of the royal family.
The revelation that he has only ever paid a token annual rent on his Windsor mansion has intensified the examination over his living arrangements - even though he made large payments up front, including for improvements.
The political party said he should be summoned before members of parliament to give evidence about his lease of his residence.
But last week, the authorities declined to give MPs time to discuss the royal's status or his residence, despite growing pressure for scrutiny.
Buckingham Palace has not commented on whether Prince Andrew might move out of his current residence - or where he might reside.
Related Topics
- The Duke of York
- British Monarchy
- The Monarch