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In the course of a public appearance to Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, the King was heckled by a protester who asked him about Prince Andrew's relationship with convicted sex offender Epstein.

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

Amid the heckling, there were crowds of well-wishers and cheers for the King, who was visiting Staffordshire for an event.

The Duke of York's associations with Jeffrey 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 wrongdoing.

"For how long have you known about Andrew and Epstein? Have you asked the police to conceal for him?"

The monarch did not respond but continued greeting supporters, some of whom chanted "God Save The King". One supporter can be overheard requesting him for a hug.

A female bystander outside the cathedral was also observed telling the heckler to "go away" and to "be quiet".

Controversy Reignited by Memoir

The scandal over the Duke of York's connections to Epstein has been reignited by sexual abuse claims repeated in Virginia Giuffre's recently released memoir.

In the memoir, the accuser says she had sex with the prince on three separate occasions, including one instance with Epstein and "eight other young girls"

Andrew, who agreed to a out-of-court agreement with the plaintiff in recent years, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. In a previous interview, he told a news program he did not recall meeting her "at all", and that they "did not have any sort of intimate relations."

New Inquiries Over Finances and Housing

But recently, new inquiries have been raised 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 has heightened the scrutiny over his living arrangements - even though he made large payments up front, including for improvements.

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

But last Thursday, the authorities refused to give MPs time to discuss the prince's titles or his home, despite increasing calls for scrutiny.

The royal household has not commented on whether Prince Andrew might relocate of his home - or where he might go.

Related Topics

• Prince Andrew
• UK Royal Family
• The Monarch