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In the course of a public appearance to a cathedral in Staffordshire on Monday, King Charles was confronted by a protester who questioned him about Prince Andrew's links with disgraced financier Epstein.

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

Despite the heckling, there were crowds of fans and applause for the King, who was visiting the region for an event.

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

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

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

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

Controversy Reignited by Memoir

The scandal over Prince Andrew's connections to Jeffrey Epstein has been brought back into focus by misconduct allegations repeated in Virginia Giuffre's recently released book.

In the memoir, Ms Giuffre alleges she had sexual encounters with the prince on three separate occasions, including once with Jeffrey Epstein and "eight other young girls"

Prince Andrew, who agreed to a out-of-court agreement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, has consistently denied any misconduct. In 2019, he told a news program he did not recall meeting her "at all", and that they "never had any sort of sexual contact."

Fresh Questions Over Lifestyle 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 token annual rent on his Royal Lodge has intensified the scrutiny over his living arrangements - even though he made large payments up front, including for improvements.

The Liberal Democrats said he should be summoned before members of parliament to give evidence about his lease of his residence.

But last week, the government refused to give parliamentarians time to discuss the prince's status or his residence, despite increasing calls for investigation.

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

Associated Issues

• The Duke of York
• British Monarchy
• The Monarch