King Charles Faces Heckling Concerning His Brother's Jeffrey Epstein Ties
During a visit to a cathedral in Staffordshire on the start of the week, the King was confronted by a man who questioned him about Prince Andrew's relationship with disgraced financier Epstein.
The man asked how long the King had been known about his brother's relationship with Epstein, and also questioned whether he had instructed the authorities to "conceal" for Prince Andrew.
Amid the heckling, there were crowds of supporters and cheers for the King, who was in Staffordshire for an event.
Prince Andrew's associations with Jeffrey Epstein have been under close examination in the past few weeks. The royal, who gave up his royal duties earlier this month, has repeatedly denied any misconduct.
"For how long have you been aware about Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein? Have you asked the authorities to conceal for him?"
The King remained silent but carried on meeting supporters, some of whom shouted "God Save The King". One supporter can be heard requesting him for a hug.
A female bystander outside the cathedral was also observed telling the heckler to "go away" and to "shut up".
Scandal Reignited by Memoir
The scandal over the Duke of York's connections to Jeffrey Epstein has been revived by sexual abuse allegations repeated in Virginia Giuffre's posthumously-published memoir.
In the publication, Ms Giuffre alleges she had sex with the prince on multiple times, including once with Jeffrey Epstein and "eight other young girls"
Prince Andrew, who reached a out-of-court agreement with Ms Giuffre in recent years, has consistently denied any misconduct. 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 Over Lifestyle and Living Arrangements
But recently, fresh questions have been raised about how he is able to finance his lifestyle despite not being a active member of the royal family.
The disclosure that he has only ever paid a token annual rent on his Royal Lodge has heightened the examination over his housing situation - even though he made significant contributions initially, including for improvements.
The Liberal Democrats said he should be called in front of members of parliament to give testimony about his rental agreement of his residence.
But last week, the government refused to give MPs time to debate the prince's titles or his residence, despite growing pressure for scrutiny.
The royal household has not commented on whether the Duke of York might relocate of his home - or where he might reside.
Associated Issues
- The Duke of York
- UK Royal Family
- King Charles III