Two men charged for ‘assault on Prince Andrew heckler’

Two men have been charged with assaulting an alleged heckler who is accused of shouting abuse at Prince Andrew as he walked behind Queen Elizabeth’s coffin in Edinburgh.

Footage shared on social media appeared to show a member of the crowd call Andrew a “sick old man” as he walked up the Royal Mile on Sept 12.

The man alleged to have hurled the insult was charged with breach of the peace.

Previously, the 22-year-old man, alleged to have shouted at Andrew, was released by police on an undertaking to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.

Two others, both aged 34, have also been charged after dragging the alleged heckler to the ground, Police Scotland confirmed on Sunday. The footage showed Police quickly intervening following the incident.

Prince Andrew was walking behind the late Queen’s coffin alongside King Charles, as it was being taken from Holyrood Palace to St Giles’ Cathedral, where she lay in state before being taken to London.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Two men, both aged 34, have been arrested and charged in connection with assault, following an incident on the Royal Mile around 2.50pm on Monday, 12 September 2022.

“A report will be sent for the consideration of the procurator fiscal.”

Sir Iain Livingstone, the chief constable of Police Scotland, said last week that 13 people had been arrested north of the border in connection with events linked to Queen Elizabeth’s death.