The Monarch Encounters Protest Over Prince Andrew's Epstein Connections
In the course of a visit to a cathedral in Staffordshire on Monday, King Charles was confronted by a individual who questioned him about Prince Andrew's relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The individual inquired how long the monarch had been known about his sibling's association with Epstein, and also raised doubts about whether he had asked the authorities to "cover up" for Prince Andrew.
Amid the protest, there were crowds of fans and cheers for the monarch, who was visiting Staffordshire for an engagement.
Prince Andrew's associations with Epstein have been under intense scrutiny in the past few weeks. The royal, who gave up his royal duties earlier this month, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
"How long have you known about Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein? Did you request the police to cover up for Andrew?"
The monarch ignored the questions but continued meeting fans, some of whom shouted "God Save The King". One supporter can be overheard asking him for a embrace.
Another woman outside the venue was also observed telling the heckler to "leave" and to "shut up".
Scandal Reignited by Memoir
The scandal over Prince Andrew's connections to Epstein has been revived by sexual abuse 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 once with Jeffrey Epstein and "eight other young girls"
Andrew, who reached a financial settlement with Ms Giuffre in recent years, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. In 2019, he told BBC Newsnight he did not remember meeting Ms Giuffre "ever", and that they "did not have any sort of intimate relations."
New Inquiries About Lifestyle and Housing
But recently, fresh questions have been raised 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 heightened the scrutiny over his housing situation - 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 testimony about his rental agreement of his residence.
But last week, the government refused to give parliamentarians time to debate the prince's titles or his residence, despite increasing calls for investigation.
Buckingham Palace has not commented on whether Prince Andrew might move out of his current residence - or where he might go.
Related Topics
- Prince Andrew
- British Monarchy
- The Monarch