Anti-monarchy protesters have dealt a major blow to Prince Andrew by sneaking a photograph of him with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein into Buckingham Palace. The activists, from the group Republic, unfurled a large image of the former Duke of York with Epstein in the palace's throne room, alongside a banner reading: 'What did you know?'
Protest at the heart of the monarchy
The stunt took place on Monday, July 14, 2026, and was described by Republic's chief executive officer, Graham Swift, as having 'taken questions about Andrew to the heart of the royal household, the symbolic home of the monarchy'. Swift added in a statement: 'This question isn't going away. It is simply not believable to think that Charles and William weren't briefed years ago about the numerous allegations against Andrew.'
Andrew, who was stripped of his titles by King Charles in October 2025, owes his exile from public life to his friendship with Epstein, which continued after the financier's conviction for child sex crimes in 2008. In February 2026, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his connection with Epstein and was interviewed under caution before being released under investigation.
Allegations and legal battles
Andrew has faced separate accusations of having sex with Virginia Giuffre three times, including when she was 17 and during an orgy after she was trafficked by Epstein. In 2022, he paid Giuffre millions of pounds to settle a civil lawsuit in the US, though he maintained he had never met her and the settlement was not an admission of guilt. In May 2026, it emerged that detectives investigating Andrew will consider allegations of sexual misconduct in their inquiry into potential misconduct in public office. The former duke has consistently denied all allegations.
Swift also noted that security services, police, and government would have had concerns about Andrew's behaviour and would have briefed the palace, 'not least because of the potential threat to national security and the risk of blackmail'.
Financial revelations
Andrew most recently made headlines when a National Audit Office report revealed that he received an undisclosed private income from subletting three cottages on his Royal Lodge estate in Windsor while paying a peppercorn rent for more than two decades. The payments came to light after he was forced to vacate his home and move into Marsh Farm on the King's Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
