Heckler incident brings back embarrassing chapter of the royal family’s past
A dark chapter of the royal family’s recent history has been brought back into the spotlight after a procession for the Queen’s coffin.
A dark and embarrassing chapter of the royal family’s past has been brought back in to the spotlight after an incident with a young heckler on Monday.
Prince Andrew has again drawn heat after he was verbally accosted by a young man wearing a Melbourne City FC football top in Edinburgh during a procession for the Queen’s coffin.
The royal family were in the Scottish capital as part of a series of ceremonies marking the Queen’s journey from Balmoral to London for her funeral.
It was along the city’s Royal Mile where the Duke of York was heckled by 22-year-old Rory, who yelled: “Andrew, you’re a sick old man”.
Authorities were quick to deal with the young heckler, with police pulling him from the crowd as a number of mourners at the procession pushed and hurled abuse at him.
However, the incident brought back into focus one of the royal family’s most damning controversies.
Reporter Joseph Anderson from Scottish political magazine Holyrood, caught up with Rory shortly after he was “arrested in connection with a breach of the peace”.
“Powerful men shouldn’t be allowed to commit sexual crimes and get away with it,” the handcuffed protester said, alluding to Prince Andrew’s connections to US sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein.
In February this year, the Duke of York settled a lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of sexually abusing her when she was sex trafficked by Epstein in 2001 as a 17-year-old girl.
Despite having never faced criminal charges, plenty still question Prince Andrew’s decision to pay off his accuser, as well as his connections with the disgraced Epstein – who took his own life after being jailed in August 2019.
Outrage over ‘double standards’
Vision of the young heckler being arrested struck a nerve online.
“If Prince Andrew didn’t want to be heckled then he should have stayed at home. He was relieved of Royal Duties in 2020 after letting down his mother spectacularly, so he shouldn’t be using her death as an excuse to try sanitising his reputation. Arresting hecklers is grotesque,” anti-gambling campaigner Matt Zarb-Cousin tweeted.
“Prince Andrew paid £12 million ($22.7 million), some of it contributed by the Queen herself, rather than contest allegations of sexual assault made by one of Epstein’s victims. If the royals were at all concerned about what’s ‘respectful’, he wouldn’t appear in the public eye ever again,” wrote editor Ash Sarkar.
Others took issue with UK police allegedly targeting protesters for holding anti-monarchy signs.
“This country is so upside-down,” wrote Ricky Hale.
“A woman arrested in Edinburgh for holding an anti monarchy sign. A man arrested in Edinburgh for heckling Prince Andrew as “sick”. A barrister told by police in London that a placard saying “not my King” would see him arrested. This ‘accession’ is anti democratic,” tweeted Howard Beckett.
A woman arrested in Edinburgh for holding an anti monarchy sign. A man arrested in Edinburgh for heckling Prince Andrew as “sickâ€. A barrister told by police in London that a placard saying “not my King†would see him arrested.
— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) September 12, 2022
This ‘accession’ is anti democratic.
If Prince Andrew didn’t want to be heckled then he should have stayed at home. He was relieved of Royal Duties in 2020 after letting down his mother spectacularly, so he shouldn’t be using her death as an excuse to try sanitising his reputation. Arresting hecklers is grotesque
— Matt Zarb-Cousin (@mattzarb) September 12, 2022
Prince Andrew’s ‘excruciating’ interview
Prince Andrew was famously grilled about the saga on BBC’s Newsnight TV program in the months after Epstein’s death.
The bizarre interview led by presenter Emily Maitlis was labelled “disastrous” and “excruciating” and among myriad gaffes, notably featured the bumbling prince claiming he was unable to sweat.
Prince Andrew resigned from public roles in May 2020 in the aftermath of the interview, and his honorary military affiliations and royal charitable patronages were given back to the Queen in January this year.
It was recently announced the interview had been adapted for the big screen in a movie called Scoop - dashing any hope the prince has of the saga being forgotten about any time soon.
The film will reportedly re-enact how Newsnight producers secured and pulled off the 2019 interview.
It appears unlikely Prince Andrew will ever return to royal duties, even under the new monarch – his brother – King Charles III.
An analysis by Guardian writer Caroline Davies says while the prince will be involved in formalities following the Queen’s passing, it “seems likely he will remain excluded” from his forfeited royal duties.
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“I think that he will remain very much in the background.” Joe Little, the managing editor of Majesty magazine said, quoted in the Guardian piece.
“There is no way he is going to resume royal duties. So, you could say his retirement continues.
“There is no hope, I would suggest, of him returning to the working royal-fold anytime soon.”
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