Watch: ‘Sick Old Man’: Prince Andrew is snubbed as he walks behind the Queen’s coffin
Prince Andrew was snubbed by a protester who shouted “You’re a sick old man” as the Queen’s son followed her procession of coffins through the streets of Edinburgh.
Scottish mourners came out in their thousands to pay their respects as she left Balmoral for the last time.
The procession, which was broadcast live on the BBC, was largely silent, somber and respectful, with well-wishers gathering on country roads, bridges and in village and town centers to say goodbye.
However, a protester broke the silence and shouted aggressively as the Duke of York walked by before being pulled away by police. His comments were clearly heard in the reporting.
A brief scuffle appeared to ensue before police led the man away as he shouted “disgusting” and “I did nothing wrong”.
A Police Scotland spokesman told Yahoo News UK: “A 22-year-old man was arrested at around 2.50pm on Monday 12 September 2022 in connection with a breach of the peace on the Royal Mile.”
Andrew, the late monarch’s second son, has stepped down from public life amid the fallout of his friendship with pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
In January of that year, the Queen stripped him of all his honorary military posts, including Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and he relinquished his HRH style.
In March, he paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Virginia Giuffre, though the agreement contained no admission of guilt and Andrew has maintained his innocence.
Police have been criticized in recent days for cracking down on anti-monarchy protesters.
Symon Hill, an anti-monarchy protester, was arrested after shouting an accession proclamation for the king.
Hill, 45, said he was walking home from church on Sunday when he came across a public formal reading of Charles’s proclamation of accession in Carfax, Oxford.
He was arrested on suspicion of a public order offense under Section 5 of the Public Order Act after shouting “Who elected him?” during the reading. He was later arrested again after refusing to be questioned without a lawyer and driven home by police.
Ruth Smeeth, executive director of Index on Censorship, said the arrests were “deeply concerning” and added: “The fundamental right to freedom of expression, including the right to protest, must be protected regardless of the circumstances.”
Jodie Beck, Policy and Campaigns Officer at Liberty, said: “Protest is not a gift from the state, it is a fundamental right. The ability to choose what, how and when we protest is an essential part of a healthy and functioning democracy.”
The Queen’s coffin will be flown from Edinburgh to London on an RAF plane on Tuesday evening. It will be joined by the late monarch’s only daughter – Anne, the Princess Royal – before being laid to rest in the Bow Room of Buckingham Palace.
The Queen’s State Funeral will take place at 11am on Monday 19 September at Westminster Abbey.
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