Prince Andrew was heckled by a protester while he walked behind Queen Elizabeth II‘s coffin in Scotland.
The Duke of York, 62, and his siblings — King Charles III, Princess Anne and Prince Edward — were participating in the procession of their mother’s casket on Monday, September 12, when a man yelled, “You’re a sick old man!”
The man’s comments can be heard in the BBC’s live video coverage of the event, which also shows him being pulled away by other bystanders after yelling that Andrew is “disgusting.” A spokesperson for Police Scotland confirmed to The Guardian on Tuesday, September 13, that the man was later arrested.
“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. on Monday,” the spokesperson said. “He was released on an undertaking to appear at Edinburgh sheriff court at a later date and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.”
The queen’s middle son has made headlines over the past several years for his alleged ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in August 2019 while in prison for federal charges of sex trafficking of minors.
Earlier this year, Andrew was stripped of his titles after he was sued by Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was underage. The California native, 39, claimed that Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell forced her to have sex with the duke when she was 17 years old.
“With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen,” Buckingham Palace announced in a statement in a statement in January. “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
One month later, Us confirmed that Andrew agreed to settle the lawsuit before it went to trial. According to court documents filed in February, the case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
“Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights,” read a letter submitted to the United States District Court in New York City at the time. “Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks.”
Though the U.K. native was stripped of his titles, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Monday that he was granted permission to wear his military uniform for his late mother’s final vigil “as a special mark of respect.” The palace has not yet confirmed who will attend the final vigil and when it will be held.
When Andrew walked with his siblings in Edinburgh on Monday, however, he was dressed in civilian clothing, as he likely will be for all other funeral events.
