King Charles Faces Heckling Over Prince Andrew's Epstein Connections
In the course of a public appearance to Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, the King was shouted at by a individual who questioned him about Prince Andrew's links with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The individual demanded to know how long the monarch had been known about his sibling's relationship with Epstein, and also questioned whether he had asked the police to "conceal" for Prince Andrew.
Amid the protest, there were throngs of fans and cheers for the King, who was visiting Staffordshire for an engagement.
The Duke of York's associations with Jeffrey Epstein have been under close examination in the past few weeks. The prince, who relinquished his royal duties earlier this month, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
"How long have you been aware about Prince Andrew and Epstein? Did you request the police to conceal for Andrew?"
The King ignored the questions but carried on greeting supporters, some of whom chanted "Long live the King". One fan can be overheard asking him for a embrace.
Another woman outside the venue was also observed telling the heckler to "leave" and to "shut up".
Controversy Revived by Posthumous Publication
The scandal over Prince Andrew's connections to Epstein has been brought back into focus by misconduct allegations repeated in Ms. Giuffre's posthumously-published book.
In the memoir, 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 out-of-court agreement with Ms Giuffre in recent years, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. In 2019, he told BBC Newsnight he did not recall meeting Ms Giuffre "at all", and that they "did not have any sort of sexual contact."
New Inquiries About Finances and Housing
But recently, new inquiries have been raised 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 nominal fee on his Windsor mansion has heightened the examination over his living arrangements - even though he made significant contributions initially, including for renovations.
The political party said he should be called in before MPs to give evidence about his lease of his lodge.
But last Thursday, the government refused to give MPs time to debate the prince's status or his home, despite growing pressure for investigation.
The royal household has not issued a statement on whether Prince Andrew might relocate of his home - or where he might reside.
Related Topics
- The Duke of York
- UK Royal Family
- King Charles III