Twist in Prince Andrew heckler drama during Queen’s procession in Scotland
A young man wearing an Aussie football hoodie was arrested for heckling Prince Andrew. Now, two men have been charged for allegedly attacking him.
Three people have now been charged in connection with the moment Prince Andrew was allegedly heckled as he walked behind the Queen’s coffin – the accused heckler and two mourners who allegedly dragged him to the ground.
During the procession along the historic Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland on September 12, a man wearing an Australian football team hoodie allegedly began heckling Prince Andrew by name.
He had allegedly yelled: “Andrew, you’re a sick old man.”
The 22-year-old was arrested and later charged with breach of the peace.
Now, two more people have been charged.
Over the weekend, Police Scotland confirmed two men, both aged 34, had been arrested and “charged in connection with assault” over the September 12 incident.
In a video, the alleged heckler appeared to be dragged to the ground by members of the crowd and then as a police officer helped him up, he was seen to be pushed by two people.
A woman could be seen trying to stop them, while someone else yelled: “Get your hands off him.” Other crowd members chanted: “God save the King.”
As the police officer walked the alleged heckler away from the crowd, the 22-year-old could be heard saying: “I've done nothing wrong.”
He could clearly be seen wearing a hoodie with the 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.
The Queen’s coffin was being taken by hearse to St Giles’ Cathedral in the country’s capital for her lying-in-state before being transported to London for the funeral.
Prince Andrew walked in the procession alongside King Charles III, Princess Anne and Prince Edward.
Unlike his siblings he did not walk in ceremonial military uniform as he is no longer a working royal.
Prince Andrew settled a civil sexual assault case brought against him in the US by Virginia Giuffre in February.
Ms Giuffre claimed Prince Andrew’s friend Jeffrey Epstein forced her to have sex with the royal on three occasions when she was 17.
Prince Andrew has repeatedly and strongly denied all the claims against him.
The month before, it was announced Prince Andrew had been stripped of his military titles, his royal patronages would be returned to the Queen and he would stop using the title His Royal Highness in an official capacity.