KING CHARLES was heckled today and asked how long he had known about his brother Andrew’s Epstein links during a visit to an auction mart in Lancashire,

As the monarch greeted crowds outside Clitheroe train station, a man shouted: “How long have you known about Andrew?”

His question drew boos from royalists but just hours later, Thames Valley Police confirmed that it was assessing claims that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential reports from his role as Britain’s trade envoy with the paedophile financier.

A spokesman for Republic campaign group said: “The public are sick and tired of the royals sidestepping this issue. Andrew needs to be properly held to account.

“Charles and William are complicit in a cover-up. It’s that simple.

“Heckling will continue until there’s a police investigation of Andrew and until there’s a full royal Epstein inquiry.

“Powerful men and rich elites should not be allowed to evade justice.”

Andrew, who was stripped of his titles by the King last year, has always denied any wrongdoing.

Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt called on the King to publicly make clear that Andrew should testify before US Congress over his links to Epstein, and to support removing his brother from the line of succession.

Mr Hunt said: “If he doesn’t, Charles runs the risk of his reign being remembered as one where the British monarchy failed to properly support Epstein’s victims.”

The King also faced heckling on a visit to Dedham, Essex, last week when a man shouted: “Charles, Charles, have you pressurised the police to start investigating Andrew?”

The latest release of files linked to the paedophile financier suggest Andrew knowingly shared confidential information with Epstein from his official work as trade envoy in 2010 and 2011.

The former Duke of York, who served as trade envoy between 2001 and 2011, has denied any wrongdoing.

Prince William and his wife Kate finally addressed the Epstein scandal today, expressing their “deep concern” amid the ongoing revelations surrounding Andrew.

Republic added: “Expressing ‘concern’ over Andrew simply isn’t enough. It’s been over 15 years since allegations first surfaced.

“A couple of lines in a press release doesn’t address the serious nature of this situation.”