King Charles was heckled by a protester who asked whether he had “asked the police to cover up” for his scandal-ridden brother, as pressure mounts on the monarchy to take further action against Prince Andrew.
During a visit to Litchfield Cathedral today, a man in the crowd asked the king a string of questions, including: “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?”
In a video, believed to have been filmed by the protester as he spoke, the man goes on to ask Charles twice: “Have you asked the police to cover up for Andrew?”
The king continues shaking hands with well-wishers and waving as the man shouts questions. At one point a woman turns around and tells him to “shut up”. The protester, thought to be a member of anti-monarchy group Republic, ends by asking: “Should MPs be allowed to debate the royals in the House of Commons?”
Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, said: “The royals need to be challenged, and if the politicians won’t do the job and the police won’t investigate, then more and more members of the public will be asking the tough questions.
“We want to see broadcasters invite Charles into a studio and ask him the same questions.”
The monarchy has come under increasing pressure to resolve the issue of Andrew, with some MPs eager to debate the topic, though the government has so far refused to allocate time in the Commons.
Earlier this month, it was announced that Andrew would no longer use his titles and honours after the continuing fallout over his links to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted child sex offender.
Andrew’s announcement came days before the posthumous publication of the memoir of his sex assault accuser, Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in April aged 41.
In her book, Giuffre repeats her allegations, published in an exclusive extract by the Guardian, that she was forced to have sex with the prince on three occasions, including when she was 17 and also during an orgy after being trafficked by Epstein. Andrew vehemently denies the allegations.
There were further calls for action against Andrew when the terms of his residency at the Royal Lodge, where he lived effectively rent free, were revealed. After mounting anger over his continued residence in the royal mansion with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, also linked to Epstein after calling him a “supreme friend” in 2011, the pair have agreed to leave in exchange for two separate residences, according to reports.
An anonymous source told the Sun newspaper that Andrew has requested the former home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Frogmore Cottage, while Sarah Ferguson may relocate to Adelaide Cottage after it is vacated by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
