Britain’s King Charles was heckled by a protester on Monday over his brother Prince Andrew’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while greeting royal fans during a public engagement at Lichfield Cathedral in Staffordshire.
“How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?” the man could be heard shouting as the monarch went on a walkabout outside the cathedral in northwest England, near Birmingham. The protester also asked whether the King had “asked the police to cover up for Andrew” and if MPs should be allowed to “debate the royals in the House of Commons”.
The man’s outburst was quickly drowned out by vocal support for the monarch. Several bystanders told the protester to “shut up,” while others chanted “three cheers for the King” and “God Save the King”.
One royal fan could even be heard asking the King for a hug, as the monarch continued meeting crowds and ignored the protester’s questions. Many people outside the cathedral appeared visibly annoyed by the interruption, with one woman telling the man to “go away and leave him alone”.
Prince Andrew, 65, has been under intense scrutiny for years over his friendship with Epstein. Earlier this month, Andrew announced that he would give up all his royal titles, including the use of his title as Duke of York, with King Charles’s approval.
“In discussion with the King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” his statement said.
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me,” he added.
Despite stepping back from royal duties and renouncing his titles, public scrutiny of Andrew and the royal family has intensified. The controversy has been reignited by the posthumous memoir of Virginia Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17.
In the memoir, Giuffre claimed she had sex with the prince on three occasions, including once with Epstein and “eight other young girls”.
Andrew, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, made an undisclosed payment in 2022 to settle a lawsuit brought by Giuffre in the United States. He has said he does not remember meeting her “at all” and insisted they “never had any sort of sexual contact”.
British police are reportedly looking into media claims that in 2011 Andrew asked one of his officers to dig up information on Giuffre. Meanwhile, renewed scrutiny has also been directed at his finances and living arrangements, particularly over revelations that he pays only a token annual rent for his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge.
The Liberal Democrats have called for Andrew to appear before MPs to explain the terms of his lease, but the government last week declined to allocate parliamentary time to debate the issue, despite growing calls for accountability.
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With inputs from Reuters
