Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest is not the first instance of Britain’s monarchy having to face the judiciary
T
he news of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on Thursday morning may come as surprise to many but the British royal family has long been mired by controversy. From illegal gambling, motoring offences and even execution, these are just a handful of the many royal run-ins with the law.
Charles I
The last time a member of the British royal family was arrested was more than 350 years ago. Charles I was taken prisoner in 1647, after his defeat in the English civil war by parliamentary forces. The monarch was a firm believer in the divine right of kings and led a tyrannical reign, refusing to recognise the authority of parliament when it came to matters of governance and religious practices in England and Scotland. He was put on trial and found guilty of high treason, charges which he denied by claiming that no court had jurisdiction over the monarch’s God-given power.
