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During a visit to Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, the King was confronted by a man who asked him about his brother's links with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The man demanded to know how long the King had been aware about his sibling's association with Epstein, and also raised doubts about whether he had instructed the authorities to "hide" for Andrew.

Amid the protest, there were large groups of supporters and applause for the King, who was visiting the region for an ceremony.

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

"For how long have you been aware about Prince Andrew and Epstein? Did you request the police to cover up for Andrew?"

The King ignored the questions but carried on meeting supporters, some of whom shouted "Long live the King". One fan can be overheard requesting him for a embrace.

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 allegations repeated in Virginia Giuffre's posthumously-published memoir.

In the memoir, Ms Giuffre alleges she had sex with the prince on multiple times, including once with Epstein and "eight other young girls"

Andrew, who reached a financial settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. In 2019, he told a news program he did not remember meeting Ms Giuffre "at all", and that they "did not have any sort of sexual contact."

Fresh Questions Over Finances and Housing

But recently, fresh questions have been asked about how he is able to fund his way of life despite not being a working royal.

The disclosure that he has only ever paid a nominal fee on his Royal Lodge has heightened the scrutiny over his living arrangements - even though he made large payments up front, including for renovations.

The political party said he should be summoned front of MPs to give testimony about his rental agreement of his lodge.

But last Thursday, the government refused to give parliamentarians time to debate the prince's titles or his residence, despite increasing calls for investigation.

Buckingham Palace has not issued a statement on whether Prince Andrew might relocate of his current residence - or where he might go.

Related Topics

• Prince Andrew
• UK Royal Family
• The Monarch