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In the course of a visit to Lichfield Cathedral on the start of the week, the King was heckled by a man who asked him about his brother's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The individual demanded to know how long the monarch had been aware about his brother's association with Epstein, and also raised doubts about whether he had asked the authorities to "hide" for Andrew.

Despite the heckling, there were throngs of fans and cheers for the monarch, who was visiting the region for an event.

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

"How long have you been aware about Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein? Have you asked the authorities to cover up for him?"

The monarch remained silent but continued greeting supporters, some of whom shouted "Long live the King". One supporter can be overheard requesting him for a hug.

A female bystander outside the cathedral was also heard telling the protester to "leave" and to "shut up".

Scandal Reignited by Memoir

The controversy over the Duke of York's connections to Epstein has been revived by sexual abuse claims repeated in Virginia Giuffre's posthumously-published book.

In the publication, Ms Giuffre claims she had sex with the royal on three separate occasions, including one instance with Jeffrey Epstein and "eight other young girls"

Andrew, who reached a financial settlement with Ms Giuffre in recent years, has repeatedly denied any misconduct. In 2019, he told a news program he did not recall meeting her "at all", and that they "did not have any sort of intimate relations."

Fresh Questions About 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 heightened the scrutiny over his living arrangements - even though he made large payments initially, including for improvements.

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

But last Thursday, the government refused to give parliamentarians time to debate the prince's status or his home, despite growing pressure for investigation.

Buckingham Palace has not commented on whether the Duke of York might relocate of his home - or where he might reside.

Related Topics

• The Duke of York
• UK Royal Family
• King Charles III