King Charles III faced an unprecedented wave of public outrage on Monday as protesters heckled the sovereign and other senior royals during the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, pressing for answers about what they knew regarding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The March 9, 2026 gathering was the royal family’s largest public appearance since Andrew’s arrest on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The former Duke of York, stripped of his royal titles, was detained for 11 hours before being released under investigation.
Members of the anti-monarchy group Republic gathered outside Westminster Abbey, holding bright yellow placards reading “What did you know?” and “Charles, what are you hiding?” As the king’s motorcade approached, demonstrators chanted “Charlie, Charlie, time to go!” loud enough to be heard over the Abbey bells.
Protesters held enlarged photos of Andrew with Virginia Giuffre and another disturbing image from newly released Epstein files showing Andrew on his hands and knees over a woman lying face up. Additional signs read “Not my king,” “Down with the Crown,” and “Ditch the Duchies.”
King Charles, 77, attended the service with Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Kate Middleton, presenting a united front despite the turmoil outside. Princess Anne, the Duke of Gloucester, and other senior royals also participated in the ceremony honoring the 56-nation Commonwealth and its roughly 2.7 billion people.
Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, delivered a harsh rebuke of the royals’ silence. “Charles and William—what did you know about Andrew? It’s a simple question, but one the royals have failed to answer,” Smith told reporters. “It’s inconceivable to think that they knew nothing about the allegations against Andrew.”
The protests highlight growing public anger over Andrew’s continued access to royal homes amid mounting allegations. Police arrested the 66-year-old shortly after 8 a.m. at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, where he had been staying alone after leaving his 30-room house in early February. He was taken in an unmarked vehicle to Aylsham police station in Norfolk.
The detention marked the first arrest of a senior British royal in modern history—the last comparable event involved King Charles I, who was arrested in 1647 and later executed for high treason in 1649. Officers also searched Royal Lodge in Windsor, where Andrew had lived before being ordered to vacate the property.
Following the arrest, King Charles issued a carefully worded statement that conspicuously did not defend his brother. The king referred to Andrew by his legal name rather than any title, saying he learned “with the deepest concern” about the arrest. “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,” Charles said, adding that authorities had the royal family’s “full and wholehearted support and co-operation.”
Robert Jobson, author of “The Windsor Legacy,” warned about the gravity of the situation, saying that if new information emerges about what family members, police, or staff knew, “heads must roll.”
A palace insider emphasized how extraordinary the crisis is. The source said other scandals have rocked the monarchy, but an internal arrest—where someone inside the institution is detained—is a different and far more serious matter.
The controversy centers on Andrew’s association with Epstein while he served as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment from 2001 to 2011. Recently released FBI documents show a woman told investigators she massaged Andrew at Epstein’s New York home before the prince returned the favor with a massage.
Andrew reached a financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre in 2022 after she accused him of sexual abuse on three occasions. Giuffre, who died by suicide in April 2025 at age 41, had been one of the most prominent survivors to speak out about Epstein and his enablers. Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegations and told BBC Newsnight in 2019 that he did not remember meeting Giuffre “at all.”
This was not the first time King Charles was heckled over the affair. In October 2025, a protester accosted the king during a visit to Lichfield Cathedral in Staffordshire, demanding to know whether he had asked police to cover up for Andrew. That encounter prompted royalist supporters to chant “God Save The King” and tell the heckler to “shut up.”
Inside Westminster Abbey on Monday, King Charles delivered his Commonwealth Day address without mentioning the unrest outside. He described the voluntary association as “a force for good” in an increasingly divided world, emphasizing its commitment to unity and service.
Meanwhile, Andrew remains at Wood Farm under investigation. His former wife Sarah Ferguson traveled abroad after the arrest, while their daughter Princess Eugenie was skiing in Switzerland when the news broke. Princess Beatrice has largely stayed out of the public eye during the episode.
Smith concluded his remarks outside the Abbey with a stark prediction, arguing that support for the monarchy is declining and that the Republic movement is growing—making abolition a matter of when, not if.
