Reuters
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King Charles was heckled by protesters on Monday as he greeted royal fans during a visit to a British cathedral over his brother Prince Andrew’s relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?” a man could be heard shouting as the king strolled outside Lichfield Cathedral in northwest England, near Birmingham.
Prince Andrew, 65, said earlier this month that he would stop using the title Duke of York after years of scrutiny over his actions and relationship with Epstein, but since then questions have intensified about the prince and what the royal family knew about the affair.
This month, the contents of a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, who accused the prince of sexually abusing her as a teenager, sparked a fresh backlash on the issue.
Mr. Andrew has always denied Mr. Giuffre’s explanation. In 2022, he paid an undisclosed amount to settle a lawsuit in the United States brought by Giuffre, who died by suicide in April.
British police are investigating media reports that in 2011 Andrew asked one of his officers to dig up mud in Giuffre.
On Monday, demonstrators outside the cathedral could be heard saying: “Did we ask the police to protect Andrew? … Should MPs (MPs) be allowed to debate the royal family in the House of Commons?”
The king ignored the protesters and continued to engage with other citizens.