A heckler attempted to hijack the King and Queen’s away day to Dedham, near Colchester today, by asking Charles whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should be investigated by police. As the royal couple braved the rain to undertake a walkabout, shaking hands with hundreds of wellwishers who had gathered to see them, a man shouted questions about the Epstein scandal, saying “justice” for the victims.
“Charles? Charles?” he shouted, while filming on his mobile phone. “Should the police be investigating Andrew?” But the King, who was trying to greet as many people as possible while sheltering under an umbrella, didn’t appear to hear the question and did not answer.
Instead, he continued to walk along a line of wellwishers with his security staying closely behind him while the police called the protestor away.
The man, of retirement age and holding an umbrella, turned and walked off voluntarily, with officers thanking him for moving on.
As the King and Queen arrived in Dedham on Thursday morning, a television reporter was also heard to shout a question about Epstein, following the latest tranche of files released by the US Department of Justice on Friday.
Hundreds of new details about Andrew’s relationship with Epstein were included the document dump, including a picture that appeared to show Andrew on all fours over the top of a clothed woman and Thames Valley Police assessing allegations that a woman was sent to Britain by Epstein for sex with Andrew at Royal Lodge.
The former prince has always denied wrongdoing.
But despite the lone heckler, hundreds were keen to meet the King and Queen and were willing to stand out in the wet and windy conditions to just catch a glimpse of the royal visitors. They waved Union Flags and cheered as they walked along the high street shaking hands.
There were shouts of “God Save the King” and “Hip Hip Hooray” as Charles departed the village, where the couple were visiting to show support for its local pub and tea shop.
After arriving in the rain, the King and Queen stepped inside The Sun Inn to show their support for local pubs.
Joking about the bad weather, the couple met groups of “community heroes”, from organisations ranging from a local domestic abuse charity to a ‘Money Confidence’ programme, environmental and wildlife charities and a vineyard.
The Queen was offered an apron to help make ricotta, cheese and lemon zest ravioli, joking that she was better placed than her husband to lend a hand in the kitchen.
“I’d only make a terrible mess,” agreed the King, when he arrived after she had finished slicing and inspecting the pasta.
Having spent about 40minutes inside the pub, the couple headed outside to the sound of a town crier ringing a bell and announcing them and cheers from the waiting public.
The King and Queen watched a performance from children from Dedham Primary School, who had been practising a song about looking after planet Earth for two weeks in preparation for the royal visit. They went on to stop off at the Essex Rose Teahouse, which dates back to the 16th century.
Adrian Sharpe, of Dedham, was among the crowds who turned out to see the King and Queen.
The 62-year-old handyman thought the heckle was pointless, saying: “I think it’s pointless really as what Andrew’s done is what Andrew’s done, it’s not what King Charles has done is it? He’s his own person.”
He said that “they’ve taken the HRH off of Andrew”, adding: “What else can they do? Surely it’s a police matter now.”
A photograph of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling beside a young woman, published in the Epstein files last week, was printed out and scattered over the pavements in Dedham overnight.
Dozens of pieces of paper bearing a black and white version of the image were found littered on the ground, with the words “The Royal family should not be above the law” written on the back.
Locals, including councillors, cleared them away hours before the King and Queen arrived, needing to scrub the pavement where the rain had left the remnants of soggy paper behind.