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In the course of a visit to Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, the King was heckled by a protester who questioned him about his brother's relationship with convicted sex offender Epstein.

The protester demanded to know how long the monarch had been aware about his brother's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and also questioned whether he had instructed the authorities to "conceal" for Andrew.

Amid the protest, there were crowds of well-wishers and cheers for the monarch, who was visiting the region for an engagement.

The Duke of York's connections with Epstein have been under close examination in recent weeks. The royal, who relinquished his royal duties earlier this month, has repeatedly denied any misconduct.

"For how long have you known about Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein? Did you request the authorities to conceal for him?"

The monarch remained silent but continued greeting supporters, some of whom chanted "Long live the King". One fan can be overheard requesting him for a hug.

Another woman outside the cathedral was also heard telling the heckler to "leave" and to "shut up".

Controversy Reignited by Memoir

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

In the publication, the accuser alleges she had sexual encounters with the prince on multiple times, including one instance with Epstein and "eight other young girls"

Prince Andrew, who reached a financial settlement with the plaintiff in 2022, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In a previous interview, he told BBC Newsnight he did not recall meeting her "at all", and that they "did not have any sort of intimate relations."

New Inquiries Over Finances and Living Arrangements

But recently, new inquiries have been asked about how he is able to finance his way of life 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 living arrangements - even though he made large payments initially, including for improvements.

The Liberal Democrats 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 debate the prince's status or his residence, despite growing pressure for scrutiny.

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

Related Topics

• The Duke of York
• British Monarchy
• The Monarch