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In the course of a visit to Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, the King was shouted at by a individual who asked him about Prince Andrew's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The man inquired how long the King had been aware about his brother's relationship with Epstein, and also questioned whether he had instructed the police to "conceal" for Andrew.

Amid the heckling, there were large groups of well-wishers and applause for the King, who was visiting the region for an engagement.

The Duke of York's links with Epstein have been under intense scrutiny in the past few weeks. The prince, who relinquished his royal duties earlier this month, has repeatedly denied any misconduct.

"For how long have you known about Andrew and Epstein? Have you asked the police to cover up for Andrew?"

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

Another woman outside the venue was also observed telling the protester to "leave" and to "shut up".

Scandal Revived by Memoir

The scandal over Prince Andrew's connections to Epstein has been reignited by sexual abuse claims detailed in Virginia Giuffre's recently released book.

In the memoir, Ms Giuffre says she had sex with the royal on three separate occasions, including one instance with Jeffrey Epstein and "eight other young girls"

Andrew, who reached a out-of-court agreement with the plaintiff in 2022, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. In a previous interview, he told BBC Newsnight he did not remember meeting Ms Giuffre "at all", and that they "never had any sort of sexual contact."

New Inquiries Over Lifestyle and Living Arrangements

But in recent times, 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 Royal Lodge has heightened the examination over his housing situation - even though he made large payments up front, including for improvements.

The Liberal Democrats said he should be summoned before MPs to give evidence about his lease of his lodge.

But last week, the authorities declined to give parliamentarians time to discuss the prince's status or his residence, despite growing pressure for investigation.

The royal household has not commented on whether the Duke of York might move out of his current residence - or where he might go.

Related Topics

• Prince Andrew
• British Monarchy
• King Charles III