A 22-year-old man wearing an Australian football shirt was tackled to the ground in Scotland during the Queen’s coffin procession after he heckled Prince Andrew calling him a “sick old man”.
Onlookers however, weren’t impressed responding with a cry of “God Save the King”, to drown out the man’s insult before tackling him and aiding his arrest.
The heckler could be heard on the video telling police, “I’ve done nothing wrong”.
The public response to Andrew’s heckler stands in stark contrast to mass opinion and treatment of the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. As Jessie Tu pointed out yesterday, the tabloid vitriol surrounding Markle ramped up tenfold over the last week, with some commentators even blaming the former actor for causing the Queen’s death.
While numerous headlines focused on Meghan Markle’s seemingly insidious behaviour after she dared to speak out about the Institution and personal experiences of racism and mental health, barely any stories focused on Andrew’s conduct, after allegations of sexual abuse and his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein marred the royal image.
This very public display of solidarity for Prince Andrew is illuminating.
The Queen’s children and most of the royal family journeyed to Edinburgh on Monday for a number of ceremonies marking the Queen’s journey from Balmoral – where she died last week – to London for her funeral.
It’s been reported that Prince Harry (Markle’s husband) has been banned from wearing his military uniform when he mourns the Queen, while his disgraced uncle Prince Andrew will “as a special mark of respect” for the Queen.