A 22-year-old man is facing legal action after heckling Prince Andrew as he walked behind the Queen’s coffin in a solemn procession.
Clips shared on social media showed a man yelling at the Duke of York as he walked with his siblings, including King Charles III, behind the coffin up Edinburgh’s Royal Mile on Monday afternoon.
Two bystanders pulled the man out of the line before he was arrested by police. He was then released but is set to appear in court at a later date as he faces breach of the peace charges.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A 22-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with a breach of the peace on the Royal Mile around 2.50 p.m. (1350 GMT) on Monday, September 12, 2022.”
The Duke of York, 62, stepped down from royal duties in 2019 after being embroiled in controversy over his alleged friendship with the late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was arrested on sex trafficking charges but committed suicide before trial.
Prince Andrew was also sued by American Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims, for allegedly abusing her when she was a teenager.
The Queen’s son denied wrongdoing and settled the lawsuit for a millionaire sum in February this year. He was not charged with any criminal offense but has been widely criticized by the public.
The incident, which sparked a brief disturbance, came as thousands of mourners gathered at royal buildings in London and Scotland to witness solemn acts to honor the Queen after her death.
While most attendees have shown respect, some dissidents have been arrested, drawing media attention in the UK as the country often protects the right to protest.
Newly elected Prime Minister Liz Truss declined requests to comment on the operational decisions but insisted the right to protest remains a fundamental principle in the UK.
“This is a period of national mourning and indeed grief for the vast majority of the United Kingdom and I think that is what you’re seeing playing out each day,” she said.
