Man wearing Australian football team shirt arrested for heckling Prince Andrew

A man wearing an Australian football team hoodie has been arrested after he shouted insults at Prince Andrew as he walked by his mother’s coffin.

A heckler wearing a Melbourne City FC hoodie is arrested in Edinburgh. Picture: Christopher Marshall/Holyrood Daily/Twitter

A man wearing an Australian football shirt has been arrested in Edinburgh after he heckled Prince Andrew during the procession for the Queen’s coffin.

Some mourners reportedly tackled him to the ground while an onlooker shouted “God Save the King,” to drown out the man’s protests.

The royal family decamped to the Scottish capital on Monday to take part in a series of ceremonies marking the Queen’s journey from Balmoral – where she died last week – to London for her funeral.

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Vast crowds looked on at the procession from Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. (Photo by Lesley Martin – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

On Monday afternoon, the Queen was taken from the Palace of Holyroodhouse by hearse the short distance along the city’s historic Royal Mile to St Giles’ Cathedral. She will lie in state there before being flown to London on Tuesday.

King Charles III walked behind the hearse alongside the Queen’s other children – Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

Unlike Charles, Anne and Edward, Andrew did not march in ceremonial military uniform.

Earlier this year he was stripped of his military titles. In February, he settled a lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre who had accused the prince of sexually abusing her when she was underage. Andrew has consistently denied any wrong doing.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was heckled as he walked behind his mother’s coffin. (Photo by Robert Perry/Getty Images)

‘Sick old man’

As the royal party slowly walked along the Royal Mile a man wearing a Melbourne City FC shirt allegedly began heckling Prince Andrew by name.

According to audio online he said “Andrew, you’re a sick old man”.

Despite the huge crowd, 10 deep in places, the man was apparently able to get within just a few metres of the King and Prince Andrew.

Mourners reportedly grabbed the 22-year-old pulling him to the ground. A police officer then stepped in and pulled him away from the crowd.

The man wearing the Melbourne City FC shirt was taken away.

Prince Andrew heckled as the Queen's coffin passes pic.twitter.com/85m9jUgszF

— Christopher Marshall (@chrismarshll) September 12, 2022

Melbourne City footy shirt

He could clearly be seen to be wearing a hoodie with distinctive shield of Melbourne City Football Club.

Formerly known as Melbourne Heart, the soccer team was renamed Melbourne City when it was taken over by top flight English Premier League side Manchester City in 2014.

A heckler was tackled the ground who was just metres away from the King and the royal party. Picture: Christopher Marshall/Holyrood Daily/Twitter

The heckler, who had a Melbourne City hoodie on, was then shoved by another man. Picture: Christopher Marshall/Holyrood Daily/Twitter

According to Scottish political website Holyrood, which published a video from the incident, a man started shouting “God Save the King” to drown out the protester’s heckles.

As the protester was moved away by a police officer another person shoved him.

The heckler could be heard on the video telling the police officer, “I’ve done nothing wrong”.

A spokesman for Police Scotland told Holyrood a 22-year old man was arrested “in connection with a breach of the peace” on the Royal Mile around 2.50pm on Monday.

The person in the crowd who shouted "Andrew, you're a sick old man" — he was rude, out of order, etc. But does that permission bystanders to shove him to the ground like this?

(via @HolyroodDaily) pic.twitter.com/1VOUG65qOK

— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) September 12, 2022

There have been some questions about the man’s treatment.

BBC journalist Jeremy Vine said the protester was definitely “rude” and “out of order” but he questioned whether that gave “permission to bystanders to shove him to the ground?”

Earlier in the day a woman was also arrested in Edinburgh after she held up antimonarchy placards in the area around St Giles’ Cathedral.

King Charles III during an audience with the First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. (Photo by Peter Byrne – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

‘Queen Elizabeth, Queen of Scots’

At a condolence service in the Scottish parliament later on Monday, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon paid a moving tribute to the Queen including her awe at being driven around the Balmoral estate by the late monarch.

“Queen Elizabeth, Queen of Scots, we are grateful for her life. May she now rest in peace.”

Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross pointed out that King Charles was the first sovereign to accede to the British throne on Scottish soil for 400 years.

“The Queen seemed as permanent as the stones of Edinburgh Castle,” he lamented.

King Charles rounded off proceedings by talking of his mother’s affection for Scotland.

“My mother felt as I do, the greatest sense of admiration for the Scottish people.

“And it was the greatest comfort for her to know the true affection in which she was held.”