King Charles heckled over Prince Andrew and Epstein

King Charles was heckled by a protester asking him about Prince Andrew's relationship to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a visit to a cathedral on Monday.

The man asked how long the King had known about his brother and Epstein, and also questioned whether he had asked the police to "cover up" for Andrew.

His protest was met by vocal support for the King, including one woman who told him to "shut up". There were also loud chants of "three cheers for the King".

Prince Andrew's links with Epstein have been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks. The prince, who relinquished his titles earlier this month, has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Throngs of fans had waited to meet the King, who was visiting Staffordshire for an engagement at Lichfield Cathedral.

In video footage from the event, the protester said: "How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein? Have you asked the police to cover up for Andrew?

"Should MPs be allowed to debate the royals in the House of Commons?"

The King did not respond to the questions but carried on greeting fans, some of whom chanted "God Save The King". One fan can be heard asking him for a hug.

Several people outside the cathedral looked visibly annoyed by the protester, with a woman telling him to "go away and leave him alone".

The scandal over Prince Andrew's connections to Epstein has been reignited by sexual abuse allegations repeated in Virginia Giuffre's posthumously-published memoir.

In the memoir, Ms Giuffre says she had sex with the prince on three separate occasions, 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 BBC Newsnight he did not remember meeting Ms Giuffre "at all", and that they "never had any sort of sexual contact."

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

The revelation that he has only ever paid a token annual rent on his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, has intensified the scrutiny over his living arrangements - even though he made large payments up front, including for renovations.

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

But last Thursday, the government refused to give MPs time to debate the prince's titles or his home, despite growing pressure for scrutiny.

Buckingham Palace has not commented on whether Prince Andrew might move out of his home - or where he might go.