King Charles Faces Protest Over His Brother's Epstein Connections
During a public appearance to a cathedral in Staffordshire on the start of the week, King Charles was confronted by a individual who questioned him about his brother's connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The man inquired how long the monarch had been known about his brother's relationship with Epstein, and also questioned whether he had asked the authorities to "conceal" for Andrew.
Amid the protest, there were crowds of fans and applause for the King, who was in the region for an ceremony.
Prince Andrew's connections with Epstein have been under close examination in recent weeks. The royal, who gave up his titles earlier this month, has strongly denied any misconduct.
"How long have you been aware about Andrew and Epstein? Did you request the authorities to cover up for him?"
The monarch ignored the questions but carried on meeting fans, some of whom shouted "Long live the King". One supporter can be overheard requesting him for a hug.
Another woman outside the venue was also observed telling the heckler to "leave" and to "be quiet".
Scandal Revived by Memoir
The controversy over the Duke of York's links to Epstein has been revived by misconduct claims repeated in Virginia Giuffre's recently released book.
In the publication, Ms Giuffre says she had sex with the prince on multiple times, including one instance with Jeffrey Epstein and "several other minors"
Andrew, who reached a out-of-court agreement with the plaintiff in recent years, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. In a previous interview, he told BBC Newsnight he did not recall meeting Ms Giuffre "at all", and that they "did not have any sort of sexual contact."
New Inquiries About Finances and Housing
But recently, fresh questions have been asked about how he is able to fund his lifestyle despite not being a active member of the royal family.
The revelation that he has only ever paid a token annual rent on his Royal Lodge has intensified the scrutiny over his housing situation - even though he made significant contributions up front, including for improvements.
The political party said he should be summoned before members of parliament to give testimony about his lease of his residence.
But last week, the government declined to give parliamentarians time to debate the royal's status or his residence, despite growing pressure for investigation.
Buckingham Palace has not commented on whether the Duke of York might move out of his current residence - or where he might reside.
Related Topics
- The Duke of York
- British Monarchy
- The Monarch