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During a visit to a cathedral in Staffordshire on Monday, the King was heckled by a protester who questioned him about Prince Andrew's relationship with disgraced financier Epstein.

The protester inquired how long the King had been known about his sibling's association with Epstein, and also raised doubts about whether he had instructed the police to "cover up" for Prince Andrew.

Amid the protest, there were throngs of fans and applause for the monarch, who was in Staffordshire for an ceremony.

Prince Andrew's connections with Jeffrey Epstein have been under close examination in the past few weeks. The prince, who relinquished his royal duties earlier this month, has strongly denied any misconduct.

"For how long have you known about Prince Andrew and Epstein? Have you asked the police to cover up for Andrew?"

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

Another woman outside the cathedral was also observed telling the protester to "leave" and to "be quiet".

Controversy Revived by Posthumous Publication

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

In the publication, the accuser alleges she had sexual encounters with the royal on multiple times, including once with Epstein and "several other minors"

Prince Andrew, who agreed to a out-of-court agreement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In a previous interview, he told BBC Newsnight he did not remember meeting Ms Giuffre "ever", and that they "never had any sort of sexual contact."

Fresh Questions Over Lifestyle and Housing

But recently, new inquiries have been raised about how he is able to fund his way of life despite not being a working royal.

The revelation that he has only ever paid a token annual rent on his Windsor mansion has heightened the scrutiny over his housing situation - even though he made significant contributions up front, including for improvements.

The Liberal Democrats said he should be called in front of MPs to give testimony about his lease of his lodge.

But last Thursday, the authorities declined to give parliamentarians time to debate the prince's status or his home, despite increasing calls for scrutiny.

Buckingham Palace has not issued a statement on whether the Duke of York might move out of his home - or where he might go.

Related Topics

• Prince Andrew
• UK Royal Family
• The Monarch