King Charles was confronted by a protester during a visit to Lichfield Cathedral, who asked whether he had 'asked the police to cover up' for his brother, Prince Andrew. The incident comes as pressure mounts on the monarchy to take further action against Andrew over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a video believed to be filmed by the protester, the man shouted questions including 'How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?' and twice asked 'Have you asked the police to cover up for Andrew?' The king continued shaking hands and waving, while a woman in the crowd told the protester to 'shut up'. The man, thought to be a member of anti-monarchy group Republic, also asked whether MPs should be allowed to debate the royals in the House of Commons.
Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, said: 'The royals need to be challenged, and if the politicians won't do the job and the police won't investigate, then more and more members of the public will be asking the tough questions.' He called for broadcasters to invite Charles into a studio and ask him the same questions.
Pressure has been growing on the monarchy to resolve the issue of Prince Andrew. Earlier this month, it was announced that Andrew would no longer use his titles and honours after the continuing fallout over his links to Epstein. The announcement came days before the posthumous publication of the memoir of his sex assault accuser, Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in April. Giuffre alleged she was forced to have sex with the prince on three occasions, including when she was 17. Andrew vehemently denies the allegations.
There have also been calls for action after the terms of Andrew's residency at the Royal Lodge were revealed. After mounting anger, the prince and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson have agreed to leave the mansion in exchange for two separate residences, according to reports. An anonymous source told the Sun that Andrew has requested Frogmore Cottage, while Ferguson may relocate to Adelaide Cottage.
