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In the course of a visit to Lichfield Cathedral on the start of the week, King Charles was heckled by a man who questioned him about his brother's links with convicted sex offender Epstein.

The protester asked how long the King had been known about his sibling's association with Epstein, and also questioned whether he had asked the authorities to "cover up" for Andrew.

Despite the protest, there were crowds of well-wishers and cheers for the King, who was visiting the region for an event.

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

"For how long have you been aware about Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein? Did you request the authorities to cover up for Andrew?"

The monarch remained silent but carried on greeting fans, some of whom shouted "Long live the King". One fan can be overheard asking him for a hug.

A female bystander outside the cathedral was also observed telling the protester to "go away" and to "be quiet".

Controversy Revived by Posthumous Publication

The scandal over Prince Andrew's connections to Jeffrey Epstein has been brought back into focus by misconduct claims detailed in Virginia Giuffre's posthumously-published memoir.

In the memoir, Ms Giuffre claims she had sex with the royal on multiple times, including one instance with Epstein and "several other minors"

Prince Andrew, who agreed to a out-of-court agreement with the plaintiff in 2022, has repeatedly denied any misconduct. In 2019, he told a news program he did not remember meeting Ms Giuffre "at all", and that they "did not have any sort of sexual contact."

New Inquiries Over Lifestyle and Living Arrangements

But in recent times, fresh questions have been raised about how he is able to fund his lifestyle despite not being a working royal.

The revelation that he has only ever paid a token annual rent on his Royal Lodge has intensified the examination over his housing situation - even though he made significant contributions up front, including for improvements.

The Liberal Democrats said he should be called in front of MPs to give testimony about his rental agreement of his lodge.

But last Thursday, the government declined to give parliamentarians time to discuss the prince's titles or his home, despite increasing calls for investigation.

Buckingham Palace has not issued a statement on whether Prince Andrew might move out of his current residence - or where he might go.

Associated Issues

• Prince Andrew
• British Monarchy
• The Monarch