Anti-monarchy campaigners staged a high-profile demonstration inside Buckingham Palace on Monday after displaying a large banner featuring Prince Andrew and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in one of the palace’s most symbolic rooms.
The protest took place during the public opening of the State Rooms and was organized by the campaign group Republic, which said it was demanding greater transparency from the Royal Family over what senior royals knew about allegations involving the Duke of York.
Protest Unfolds Inside the Throne Room
Two Republic activists entered Buckingham Palace as paying visitors before unveiling a large banner in the throne room.
The display featured the widely circulated 2010 photograph of Prince Andrew walking with Jeffrey Epstein in New York’s Central Park, alongside the words: “What did you know?”
The demonstration was intended to challenge King Charles III and Prince William over what the campaign group says are unanswered questions regarding Prince Andrew’s relationship with Epstein and the timeline of any internal palace knowledge about the allegations.
Authorities are expected to investigate the incident, while Republic has continued pursuing legal avenues related to Prince Andrew, including efforts toward a possible private prosecution.
Republic Calls for Greater Transparency
Republic’s chief executive, Graham Smith, said the demonstration was designed to bring the issue directly to the heart of the monarchy.
According to Smith, it is difficult to believe that senior members of the Royal Family were not informed over the years about concerns surrounding Andrew’s association with Epstein.
He argued that intelligence agencies, police and government officials would likely have raised the issue with palace officials because of potential national security risks and concerns over possible blackmail.
The group insists that full disclosure is needed and says its campaign against the monarchy will continue until it receives answers and broader constitutional reforms are introduced.
Parliamentary Push Over Royal Secrecy
The protest coincides with renewed political pressure over transparency within the monarchy.
Green Party MP Sian Berry is expected to raise the issue in Parliament this week by calling for changes to Britain’s Freedom of Information rules.
Her proposal seeks to remove the Royal Family’s exemption from legislation that currently limits public access to certain official records.
Republic argues that reforming those rules is essential to increasing accountability and reducing what it describes as excessive secrecy surrounding royal affairs.
Buckingham Palace Mentioned in Recent Allegations
The demonstration also comes after fresh allegations linked Buckingham Palace to events involving Epstein.
Earlier this year, a woman in her twenties alleged she had been trafficked to Britain by Epstein in 2010 for a sexual encounter with Prince Andrew at Royal Lodge, his former Windsor residence.
Through her lawyer, she claimed that after spending the night there she was taken to Buckingham Palace for tea and a private tour.
Prince Andrew has consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Andrew’s Epstein Connections Remain Under Scrutiny
Questions surrounding Andrew’s relationship with Epstein have persisted for years.
Investigators have examined communications suggesting Andrew shared confidential investment information with Epstein following trips to Asia in 2010 and 2011.
Those exchanges allegedly occurred after Epstein had already served an 18-month prison sentence following his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution and procuring a child for prostitution.
The allegations have continued to fuel criticism of the Duke’s judgment and associations.
King Charles Has Addressed the Controversy
King Charles has publicly acknowledged concerns surrounding his younger brother, although critics argue the palace has not gone far enough.
Shortly before Andrew’s arrest earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public office relating to his dealings with Epstein, the King said he was deeply concerned by the allegations and stated that Buckingham Palace stood ready to cooperate with any police investigation.
Campaigners, however, continue to demand fuller public explanations from the monarchy.
Virginia Giuffre’s Allegations Remain Central
Among the most significant accusations against Prince Andrew were those made by the late Virginia Giuffre.
Giuffre alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell before being forced into sexual encounters with Andrew when she was 17 years old in 2001.
She said the alleged incidents occurred in London, New York and Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean.
One of the best-known images connected to the scandal shows Andrew posing alongside Giuffre at Maxwell’s London home.
Giuffre died by suicide in Australia in April 2025 at the age of 41.
Royal Residences Have Been Reshaped by the Fallout
The continuing controversy has also influenced royal living arrangements.
In June, Buckingham Palace announced that no future British monarch would permanently reside at the palace once its £369 million renovation project is completed, with King Charles and Queen Camilla choosing to remain at Clarence House.
Meanwhile, Andrew was required to leave Royal Lodge following renewed scrutiny over his links to Epstein.
He initially relocated to Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate before later moving into the refurbished Marsh Farm property, where additional security measures were installed.
Palace sources have previously suggested the King believed housing Andrew on the private estate was the best way to manage an increasingly difficult situation.
Sarah Ferguson and Other Family Members Also Faced Attention
The controversy has extended beyond Prince Andrew himself.
Court files and reported emails suggested that his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, maintained financial links with Epstein for years.
The correspondence allegedly included requests for financial assistance and personal messages exchanged after Epstein’s criminal conviction.
The scandal also affected public attention on the couple’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, although both have gradually returned to public engagements in recent months.
Andrew himself has occasionally been photographed driving near his Sandringham residence while maintaining a largely private lifestyle.
Questions Continue to Shadow the Monarchy
The Buckingham Palace protest marks the latest effort by anti-monarchy activists to keep attention focused on Prince Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and the Royal Family’s handling of the issue.
While Buckingham Palace has previously expressed its willingness to cooperate with official investigations and Andrew continues to deny wrongdoing, campaigners insist that key questions remain unanswered and say they will continue pressing for greater openness from the monarchy and wider constitutional reforms.
