Activists have staged a protest inside Buckingham Palace, questioning what the royal family knew about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The former Duke of York – who was stripped of his titles in October by his brother, King Charles – was friends with the disgraced financier for decades before the latter’s death in 2019.
He hosted Epstein at royal residences when he visited the UK and continued to socialise with him even after the financier’s conviction for child sex crimes in 2008.
On Monday, activists from the anti-monarchy group Republic unfurled a large banner in the throne room of Buckingham Palace, featuring an image of the former prince with Epstein.
They also displayed a second, smaller banner with the words “What did you know?”
Graham Smith, chief executive officer of Republic, said: “Republic activists have taken questions about Andrew to the heart of the royal household, the symbolic home of the monarchy.
“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.
“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.”
In February, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his connection with the late paedophile.
He was interviewed under caution, before being released under investigation.
In May, it emerged that detectives will consider allegations of sexual misconduct against him as part of that inquiry.
Andrew has also faced separate accusations of having sex with the late Virginia Giuffre three times, including when she was 17 – under the state of Florida’s age of consent – and also during an orgy after being trafficked by Epstein.
The former duke has denied the allegations.
Andrew paid Ms Giuffre, a woman he has claimed never to have met, millions of pounds to settle a civil suit in the US in 2022.
It has been reported that detectives from Thames Valley Police investigating Andrew will travel to the United States in the coming weeks to interview the family of Ms Giuffre, visiting her brother and sister-in-law, Sky and Amanda Roberts.
Mr Smith added: “We need full disclosure from the palace, and as they refuse to speak up the government must take action. This is why it’s so important that Green MP Sian Berry is this week calling for reform of freedom of information rules to end royal secrecy.”
Andrew made headlines again in June when it emerged in a National Audit Office report 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 some months after Andrew was forced to vacate his home and move into Marsh Farm on the King’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, after the public outcry about his peppercorn rent.
