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In the course of a public appearance to Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, King Charles was heckled by a man who asked him about his brother's connections with disgraced financier Epstein.

The man asked how long the monarch had been aware about his brother's association with Epstein, and also raised doubts about whether he had asked the police to "conceal" for Prince Andrew.

Despite the protest, there were crowds of fans and applause for the monarch, who was visiting the region for an engagement.

The Duke of York's associations with Jeffrey Epstein have been under renewed focus in the past few weeks. The royal, who relinquished his titles earlier this month, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

"How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein? Did you request the police to cover up for him?"

The monarch ignored the questions but carried on greeting fans, some of whom shouted "Long live the King". One fan can be heard requesting him for a hug.

Another woman outside the cathedral was also observed telling the heckler to "go away" and to "be quiet".

Controversy Revived by Posthumous Publication

The scandal over Prince Andrew's links to Epstein has been brought back into focus by misconduct claims repeated in Ms. Giuffre's recently released book.

In the memoir, the accuser claims she had sex with the prince on three separate occasions, including one instance with Jeffrey Epstein and "eight other young girls"

Andrew, who agreed to a out-of-court agreement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, has consistently denied any misconduct. In a previous interview, he told BBC Newsnight he did not remember meeting Ms Giuffre "ever", and that they "never had any sort of intimate relations."

New Inquiries About Finances and Housing

But recently, new inquiries have been asked about how he is able to fund his lifestyle despite not being a working royal.

The revelation 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 called in front of MPs to give testimony about his rental agreement of his lodge.

But last week, the government declined to give parliamentarians time to debate the royal's titles or his home, despite growing pressure for investigation.

The royal household has not issued a statement on whether Prince Andrew might relocate of his current residence - or where he might reside.

Related Topics

• The Duke of York
• British Monarchy
• King Charles III