The King has been heckled over Prince Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein during a visit to a cathedral on Monday.

He was shouted out by someone in the crowd outside Lichfield Cathedral, who asked: “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?”

The protester also said: “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 did not respond to the comments.

The crowd appeared to turn on the person shouting at the King, with one telling them to “shut up”.

Graham Smith, chief executive of anti-monarchy group Republic, said he believed the heckler was “one of our own members but doing their own thing”.

He 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 tough questions.

“We want to see broadcasters invite Charles into a studio and ask him the same questions.”

Pressure has been rapidly increasing on the King’s brother, who announced earlier this month he would stop using his Duke of York title and his knighthood, after revelations in the posthumous memoir of his sex accuser, Virginia Giuffre.

Reports also emerged that claimed Prince Andrew asked a royal close protection officer to “dig up dirt” on the late Ms Giuffre.

As a result of these new allegations, the Metropolitan Police said it is “actively looking into the claims”.

There are growing calls for his dukedom to be formally revoked, which can only be done by an act of parliament, and for him to give up his 30-room Royal Lodge home in Windsor Great Park after it emerged he paid a peppercorn rent for more than 20 years.

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