The King, 77, was on a visit to the north west of England on Monday, Feb. 9, when he was heckled outside a train station
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NEED TO KNOW
- King Charles was heckled over his brother, the former Prince Andrew, on Monday, Feb. 9, as he greeted crowds in the north west of England
- It came as he arrived for a day of engagements in Clitheroe, Lancashire, before he headed to the Preston area
- Earlier in thed day, Kate Middleton and Prince William broke their silence amid the ongoing revelations about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
King Charles faced a heckler over links between his brother, the former Prince Andrew, and late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as he met a crowd during a royal walkabout.
The shouts were drowned out by supportive cheers from the vast majority of well-wishers soon after Charles, 77, arrived in the north west of England for a visit on Monday, Feb. 9.
Charles had not long arrived in Clitheroe, Lancashire, by train and had been greeting the crowd when a man called out, “Charles! How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?”
It was unclear if the King heard the calls. There were audible groans and shouts and boos to silence the caller, and soon cheers of “hip hip hooray” for the King and chants of "God save the King" broke out.
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The crowd — including schoolchildren, parents and local residents — were gathered at the start of a day that Charles is spending in the Lancashire area.
It is the second time in a week that Charles has faced questions from crowds over his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as he's been out in public.
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And it came only hours after Kate Middleton and Prince William broke their silence over the issue. A spokesperson, speaking to journalists ahead of William’s visit to Saudi Arabia on Feb. 9, said had said that the couple was “deeply concerned” about the ongoing revelations.
“I can confirm The Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims,” the representative said.
One of the crowd welcoming Charles on Feb. 9 said it was "so such a treat," to meet him. Joyce Greenwood told PEOPLE, "We're proud of the monarchy."
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Charles praised Greenwood and her friends for their red, white and blue hats. "He said they were very patriotic."
Schoolchildren from St James' elementary school in the town were also among those to have met Charles during Monday's royal outing.
One of the girls called Ruby told PEOPLE when questioned what she said to the King, "I asked him what shoe size he was."
"He said he didn't know," she smiled and said, nodding and saying "yes" when asked if she was happy that she'd met the King.
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Charles' latest outing comes after he was out with Queen Camilla greeting well-wishers during a rainy visit to Dedham, Essex, on Thursday, Feb. 5. Amid the festive music and excited members of the public, one man shouted at the royals, as seen in multiple social media videos by royal reporters at the scene.
"Charles? Charles?" he asked, while holding up a cell phone. "Should the police be investigating Andrew?" As on Feb. 9, members in the crowd shouted over him.
In October, when Andrew was stripped of all his royal titles and honors and told to surrender the lease on his home Royal Lodge by his brother Charles, Buckingham Palace said in a statement that he and Camilla, 78, "wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse."
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