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In the course of a public appearance to Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, the King was confronted by a protester who asked him about Prince Andrew's links with disgraced financier Epstein.

The individual demanded to know how long the monarch had been aware about his sibling's association with Jeffrey Epstein, and also questioned whether he had instructed the police to "hide" for Andrew.

Amid the heckling, there were crowds of fans and applause for the monarch, who was visiting Staffordshire for an engagement.

Prince Andrew's associations with Epstein have been under intense scrutiny in the past few weeks. The royal, who gave up his royal duties earlier this month, has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

"How long have you known about Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein? Did you request the authorities to conceal for him?"

The monarch did not respond but carried on meeting supporters, some of whom chanted "Long live the King". One supporter can be heard asking him for a embrace.

A female bystander outside the venue was also observed telling the heckler to "go away" and to "shut up".

Controversy Revived by Posthumous Publication

The scandal over Prince Andrew's connections to Jeffrey Epstein has been brought back into focus by sexual abuse claims repeated in Ms. Giuffre's recently released memoir.

In the memoir, the accuser alleges she had sex with the prince on three separate occasions, 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 misconduct. In 2019, he told BBC Newsnight he did not recall meeting her "ever", and that they "never had any sort of intimate relations."

New Inquiries About Lifestyle and Living Arrangements

But recently, fresh questions have been asked about how he is able to finance his way of life despite not being a working royal.

The disclosure that he has only ever paid a token annual rent on his Windsor mansion has heightened the examination over his living arrangements - even though he made significant contributions up front, including for renovations.

The political party said he should be called in front of MPs to give evidence about his rental agreement of his residence.

But last Thursday, the government declined to give MPs time to debate the royal's titles or his home, despite increasing calls for scrutiny.

Buckingham Palace has not issued a statement on whether the Duke of York might relocate of his current residence - or where he might go.

Related Topics

• Prince Andrew
• UK Royal Family
• King Charles III