King Charles Confronts Protest Regarding Prince Andrew's Epstein Links
In the course of a public appearance to a cathedral in Staffordshire on Monday, the King was shouted at by a man who questioned him about Prince Andrew's relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The individual demanded to know how long the monarch had been aware about his brother's relationship with Epstein, and also raised doubts about whether he had asked the authorities to "conceal" for Prince Andrew.
Despite the heckling, there were crowds of supporters and applause for the monarch, who was visiting the region for an ceremony.
Prince Andrew's links with Jeffrey Epstein have been under renewed focus in recent weeks. The prince, who relinquished his royal duties earlier this month, has strongly denied any misconduct.
"How long have you been aware about Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein? Did you request the police to cover up for Andrew?"
The King remained silent but carried on meeting supporters, some of whom chanted "Long live the King". One supporter can be overheard asking him for a embrace.
Another woman outside the venue was also heard telling the heckler to "leave" and to "be quiet".
Scandal Revived by Memoir
The scandal over Prince Andrew's connections to Epstein has been brought back into focus by sexual abuse claims repeated in Virginia Giuffre's recently released book.
In the publication, Ms Giuffre claims she had sex with the prince on multiple times, including once with Epstein and "eight other young girls"
Prince Andrew, who reached a out-of-court agreement with the plaintiff in recent years, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In a previous interview, he told BBC Newsnight he did not recall meeting Ms Giuffre "ever", and that they "did not have any sort of intimate relations."
New Inquiries Over Finances and Living Arrangements
But in recent times, new inquiries have been asked about how he is able to finance his way of life despite not being a active member of the royal family.
The disclosure that he has only ever paid a nominal fee on his Royal Lodge has heightened the scrutiny over his housing situation - even though he made large payments up front, including for renovations.
The political party said he should be summoned front of MPs to give testimony about his rental agreement of his residence.
But last week, the government declined to give MPs time to discuss the royal's status or his residence, despite growing pressure for scrutiny.
Buckingham Palace has not issued a statement on whether Prince Andrew might move out of his current residence - or where he might go.
Related Topics
- Prince Andrew
- UK Royal Family
- King Charles III