King Charles faced an awkward public confrontation on Monday as a lone protester challenged him about Prince Andrew’s friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a royal engagement at Lichfield Cathedral.
The monarch was greeting crowds of well-wishers outside the Staffordshire cathedral when a man began shouting pointed questions about the Duke of York’s connections to the disgraced financier. The incident occurred during what was meant to be a routine walkabout following a service inside the historic building.
Video footage captured the protester, who was filming on his mobile phone, calling out multiple questions including: “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, 76, did not respond to the accusations and continued greeting members of the public who had waited for hours to see him. Loyal supporters quickly drowned out the heckler with chants of “God Save The King,” whilst one woman was heard telling the protester to “go away” and to “shut up.”
Someone in the crowd physically pulled the protester away and out of sight of the monarch, who moved to greet people waiting on the other side of the barriers. The confrontation, shared on social media by anti-monarchy group Republic, comes at an intensely difficult period for the Royal Family.
The awkward public moment occurred just over a week after Prince Andrew relinquished all his royal titles and honours amid mounting pressure over his association with Epstein. On 17th October, Andrew announced: “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.”
The timing proved particularly sensitive as it fell days before the publication of a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers. Giuffre’s book “Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice” was released on Tuesday, 21st October, six months after she died by suicide at age 41.
Andrew has repeatedly and vigorously denied all allegations made against him. In 2022, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre after she sued him for sexual assault, reportedly paying millions to settle the case.
Despite the uncomfortable confrontation, the King’s Staffordshire visit continued as planned. Thousands of supporters, including fans from the United States and Italy, gathered outside Lichfield Cathedral hoping for a glimpse of the monarch. Some had arrived as early as 5am and waited for hours with flags, posters and photographs.
Inside the cathedral, Charles engaged with dozens of community groups including representatives from the city’s foodbank, Liberty Jamboree, which supports young people with learning or physical disabilities, and volunteers from the cathedral’s embroiderers. The King was serenaded by a choir and spent time viewing the Table for the Nation, crafted from 5,000-year-old Fenland black oak and originally created for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee as a symbol of unity and hope.
The monarch also attended a dedication ceremony at the nearby National Memorial Arboretum for the LGBT+ armed forces memorial, the UK’s first national memorial commemorating LGBT+ people who have served and continue to serve in the military.
Royal aides will have hoped the focus would remain on these positive engagements rather than the continuing controversy surrounding Andrew. However, the heckler’s questions reflect growing public anger and parliamentary pressure over the Prince’s living arrangements and past conduct.
Andrew currently resides at Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion in Windsor Great Park, where he has paid only “one peppercorn” in rent per year since 2003 under the terms of a 75-year lease agreement with the Crown Estate. The arrangement has sparked fierce criticism from MPs and the public, particularly given his lack of royal duties.
Estate agents estimate the property should command approximately £804,000 annually in rent at market rates. Andrew initially paid £1 million for the lease and invested £7.5 million in refurbishments completed in 2005.
Parliamentary pressure continues to mount. Liberal Democrat sources indicated to the Sunday Times that the party could be prepared to use one of its opposition days in Parliament to allow MPs to discuss Andrew’s behaviour, his residence at Royal Lodge, and the possibility of formally stripping him of his remaining titles.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle clarified last week: “There are ways for the House to properly consider this matter. Any discussions about the conduct or reflections on members of the royal family can be properly discussed on substantive motions.”
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran told ITV News: “My constituents are writing in to me about this, this is tax-payer money. Let alone the victims looking on at the lifestyle he’s leading, without feeling that they’ve had their say and their restitution. There is a lot in this, so I think it’s right that it’s debated.”
The Government has thus far refused to allocate parliamentary time for debate, stating the Royal Family wishes MPs to focus on “important issues.” However, opposition parties retain the ability to raise the matter during opposition day debates when ministers do not control the parliamentary timetable.
According to the Telegraph, Andrew is reportedly in talks about voluntarily leaving Royal Lodge, though he remains reluctant to relinquish his residence of over two decades. The main sticking points are said to be the location of any new home and financial compensation for funds he spent on the property.
The King has long been believed to have tried encouraging his younger brother, who lives at the property with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, to relocate. However, Andrew’s watertight 75-year lease agreement has made this legally complex.
The relinquishment of Andrew’s titles represents an incredibly rare move. The last comparable instance occurred over 100 years ago when Prince Charles Edward, one of Queen Victoria’s grandsons, had the title Duke of Albany stripped from him by Parliament under the Titles Deprivation Act 1917 for fighting for Germany during World War I.
Whilst Andrew has given up using his Duke of York title and other honours, he retains the title “prince” as the son of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Only an Act of Parliament can formally and permanently remove his dukedom.
The Monday confrontation demonstrated that public anger over the Prince Andrew scandal shows no sign of abating, despite the King’s efforts to distance the working Royal Family from his brother’s controversies. The incident threatens to overshadow the monarch’s legitimate royal engagements and continue casting a shadow over the institution.
Royal commentators suggest the ongoing saga represents one of the most damaging episodes for the monarchy in recent years, with the public increasingly questioning why Andrew maintains such privilege despite stepping back from royal duties in 2019.
The pressure on both Andrew and the King to find a resolution appears likely to intensify, with MPs, campaigners and members of the public demanding greater transparency and accountability over the Prince’s finances and living arrangements.
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