LONDON, 21 October (H.S.): Buckingham Palace has issued a statement emphasizing King Charles's desire to focus on duty and service as his brother, Prince Andrew, faces intensified scrutiny following fresh allegations and the posthumous publication of a memoir by his accuser, Virginia Giuffre.

The comments were made on Monday following the King's visit to Manchester to meet with those affected by a recent synagogue attack.

A palace spokesperson stated that the King hopes the public's focus will remain on the impacted community rather than any other matters. This comes as the Metropolitan Police confirmed it is looking into claims that Prince Andrew sought personal information about Ms. Giuffre from a protection officer.

Last week, Andrew announced he would give up his royal titles, including the Duke of York, amid the ongoing controversy surrounding his association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Despite Andrew voluntarily relinquishing his titles, calls are growing for them to be formally and permanently removed through legislation. Rachael Maskell, the MP for York, is advocating for a change in the law to allow the monarch to strip titles directly. While Andrew is no longer the Duke of York, he remains a prince by birth and is eighth in the line of succession.

Royal sources have indicated they are treating the claims with very great concern, expressing that their thoughts are with the victims of Epstein's abuse network. The palace is reportedly keen to prevent the scandal from overshadowing other royal duties, including the King's historic state visit to the Vatican this week.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar