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In the course of a visit to Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, the King was confronted by a individual who questioned him about Prince Andrew's connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The man asked how long the King had been aware about his brother's relationship with Epstein, and also questioned whether he had instructed the authorities to "hide" for Prince Andrew.

Despite the heckling, there were large groups of fans and applause for the King, who was visiting Staffordshire for an engagement.

The Duke of York's connections with Epstein have been under intense scrutiny in the past few weeks. The prince, who gave up his titles earlier this month, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

"How long have you been aware about Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein? Did you request the authorities to conceal for him?"

The monarch did not respond but continued greeting fans, some of whom chanted "Long live the King". One fan can be heard asking him for a hug.

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

Controversy Revived by Memoir

The scandal over the Duke of York's connections to Jeffrey Epstein has been brought back into focus by sexual abuse claims detailed in Virginia Giuffre's recently released book.

In the memoir, the accuser claims she had sexual encounters with the prince on multiple times, including once with Jeffrey Epstein and "several other minors"

Andrew, who reached a financial settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, 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 sexual contact."

New Inquiries Over Finances and Housing

But in recent times, new inquiries 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 examination over his housing situation - even though he made large payments up front, including for improvements.

The Liberal Democrats said he should be summoned before MPs to give evidence about his rental agreement of his residence.

But last week, the government declined to give parliamentarians time to debate the prince's titles or his home, despite growing pressure for scrutiny.

The royal household has not issued a statement on whether Prince Andrew might move out of his current residence - or where he might reside.

Associated Issues

• Prince Andrew
• UK Royal Family
• The Monarch