Man Arrested After Heckling Prince Andrew During Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral Procession

Topline

A 22-year-old man was arrested in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Monday after shouting “Andrew, you’re a sick old man!” at the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral procession, a reference to the accusations of sexual assault lobbed at the queen’s second son, Prince Andrew.

Key Facts

The cortege was making its way up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh from Hollyroodhouse, the British monarchy’s official Scottish palace, to St. Giles’ Cathedral for a memorial service.

Footage posted online shows a young man yelling at the procession before being detained by police as Prince Andrew and the queen’s three other children—including the new King Charles III—walked behind their mother’s coffin.

The man was arrested over a breach of the peace, Police Scotland told Sky News, becoming at least the fourth arrest made in the U.K. amid funeral events for the late queen, who died at her Scottish Highlands castle last week.

A 74-year-old man was also arrested and charged with breaching the peace on Sunday near Holyroodhouse. A fourth person, who identified himself online as Symon Hill, was arrested in Oxford, England, during the local county’s proclamation of the new king on suspicion of behavior that could cause harassment or distress, police told Buzzfeed News. (He was later released before being booked at the police station, and authorities are currently investigating, they said.)

Hill said on social media Sunday that he had only vocally objected to Charles becoming king, and that police told him he had been arrested under a new policing law that took effect in the U.K. earlier this year that allows law enforcement to put more restrictions on protests.

Key Background

Prince Andrew stepped back from life as a working member of the royal family in 2019 after public backlash over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced late financier and convicted pedophile. One of Epstein’s most vocal accusers, Virginia Giuffre, sued Andrew in U.S. civil court earlier this year over allegations he sexually abused her when she was only 17 years old and being trafficked by Epstein. The two later settled out of court for an undisclosed sum after Andrew was stripped of his military titles by the queen. Prince Andrew has largely stayed out of public life since stepping down in 2019, but last year gave brief spot interviews to British media outlets after the death of his father, Prince Philip. The interviews sparked backlash among some viewers, who accused outlets like the BBC and Sky News of giving a platform to Andrew, despite his alleged refusal to cooperate with U.S. investigators looking into the late Epstein’s crimes and accusations of sexual abuse. With the queen’s death, Prince Andrew is now eighth in line for the throne.

Tangent

Andrew has long been said to have been his mother’s favorite child. On Sunday, sources close to the family confirmed to multiple media outlets that Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will take over the care of Elizabeth’s two Pembroke Welsh corgis, Muick and Sandy, after her death. The queen famously had dozens of pet corgis throughout her life, starting when she was a teenager.

Further Reading

Prince Andrew Gives First Public Interview Since Stepping Down As A Working Royal Over Epstein Ties (Forbes)

Queen Elizabeth’s Coffin Leaves Scotland’s Balmoral Castle—Here’s How She’ll Get To London (Forbes)

King Charles III Era Begins After Queen Elizabeth’s Death— Here’s Who Is Next In Line For The Throne (Forbes)