A public walkabout by the King and Queen in a picturesque Essex village was interrupted on Thursday when a heckler shouted an apparent reference to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal directly at the monarch.
Incident During Royal Engagement
Charles and Camilla were meeting well-wishers along the high street in Dedham, Essex, holding umbrellas against the drizzle as crowds gathered behind metal barriers. The atmosphere, described by locals as "nice and casual" for a village event, was suddenly disrupted.
A man wearing a grey hat and holding a blue umbrella shouted as the King passed near him: "Charles, Charles, have you pressurised the police to start investigating Andrew?" The direct reference to the Duke of York and the ongoing Epstein controversy created an immediate stir among the assembled crowd and security personnel.
Police Response and Aftermath
Following the outburst, police officers quickly approached the individual and escorted him away from the barriers. Essex Police later confirmed that no arrests had been made during the incident, though the intervention was clearly visible to spectators.
Shortly after the heckling, a news reporter in the crowd apparently attempted to ask Charles a question about his brother. In response, the King was guided to the far side of the road, away from the main gathering, to continue the walkabout in a more controlled environment.
Background Context and Local Reactions
The incident occurred against a backdrop of renewed attention on Prince Andrew's connections to Jeffrey Epstein. According to the East Anglian Daily Times, photographs of Andrew from the recently released Epstein files appeared to have been scattered around Dedham ahead of the royal visit. A video showing printouts of these images being distributed in the area was posted on social media the previous day.
Local residents expressed mixed reactions to the disruption. Adrian Sharpe, a 62-year-old handyman from Dedham, commented: "I think it's pointless really as what Andrew's done is what Andrew's done, it's not what King Charles has done is it? He's his own person." Sharpe noted that Prince Andrew had already been stripped of his HRH title, adding: "What else can they do? Surely it's a police matter now."
Continuing Royal Engagements
Despite the interruption, the King and Queen continued with their scheduled engagements in the village. Earlier in the day, they had met local groups inside The Sun Inn pub, where Camilla tried her hand at cutting ravioli pasta in the kitchen.
Towards the end of their walkabout, the royal couple listened to a choir of schoolchildren performing in the street before briefly visiting the Essex Rose Teahouse. There, Charles unveiled a commemorative plaque and participated in a cake-cutting ceremony.
After returning outside, they spoke with additional members of the public before departing in a Bentley, concluding what had become a more eventful visit than anticipated.
Public Sentiment and Separation of Issues
Other spectators emphasized their ability to separate the actions of Prince Andrew from their support for the monarch. Russell Townsend, a 67-year-old retired health and safety consultant from nearby Stratford St Mary, said: "I must admit today I didn't think of it really. I kind of see it as quite a separate issue. I just think it is what it is and I can kind of separate the two."
His daughter Phoebe, 22, echoed this sentiment: "I don't really follow that. I'm just here to see the King. If it was Prince Andrew maybe not, but the King's the King."
Prince Andrew, who recently moved from Royal Lodge in Windsor to the King's Sandringham Estate, has consistently and strongly denied any wrongdoing in relation to the Epstein case. The latest batch of files released by the US Department of Justice relating to the late financier has kept the matter in public discourse, occasionally intersecting with royal engagements as demonstrated in Dedham.
