Queen Elizabeth death: Man arrested for heckling Prince Andrew

QUEEN'S DEATH - LATEST UPDATES
* King Charles walks behind the Queen's hearse as it makes its way along the Royal Mile to St Giles' Cathedral in Scotland
* The King and his siblings have performed the Vigil of The Princes around their mother's coffin
* 'I am deeply grateful for addresses of condolence, which so touchingly encompass what late sovereign beloved mother meant to us all,' he told peers and ministers in Westminster Hall
* NZ to mark Queen's death with a memorial service and public holiday on Monday, September 26

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.

The fan was pinned to the ground by onlookers before being arrested. Photo / AP

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.

He was stripped of his military titles this year. 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 wrongdoing.

As the royal party slowly walked along the Royal Mile a man allegedly began heckling 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 Andrew.

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

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

— Christopher Marshall (@chrismarshll) September 12, 2022

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

According to Scottish political website Holyrood, which published a video from the heckling, another man started shouting "God Save the King" to drown out the protester's heckles.

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

The protester could be heard on the video telling the police officer, "I've done nothing wrong".

A spokesman for Police Scotland said 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".

Spoke to the protestor who was arrested on the Royal Mile today for shouting abuse at Prince Andrew during the Queen’s procession - his name is Rory, here’s what he had to say: pic.twitter.com/8GTwnVGLF7

— Joseph Anderson (@janderson_news) September 12, 2022

STORY CONTINUES AFTER LIVE BLOG

STORY CONTINUES

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

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 man was arrested after shouting insults as Andrew walked behind his mother's coffin. Photo / Getty Images

"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."