Ex-Prince Andrew Isn't the First British Royal to Be Arrested

Prince Andrew wearing a blue suit and scowling — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday, February 19 at The King's Sandringham estate, making him the first modern British royal to be taken into custody. But even though Thursday's police intervention made history, Andrew is not the first royal to have been arrested, as historian Jessica Storoschuk tells Marie Claire.

"Andrew's arrest is not the first in British history, nor is he the highest ranked royal to be arrested," the royal history expert says. Storoschuk points to King Charles I, who "was arrested in 1647 before his January 1649 execution in Whitehall," making him the last British royal to have been arrested until Andrew did 379 years later.

Along with the first King Charles, Queen Elizabeth I was also arrested during her reign after being accused of "potentially being involved in a rebellion," the An Historian Around Town blogger says.

The former Duke of York was taken into custody on Thursday after emails he sent to the late Jeffrey Epstein reportedly revealed that he had shared confidential documents related to his role as a British trade envoy.

Newspaper swith King Charles and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's photo that say King: We'll Help Police — King Charles has pledged his cooperation with Andrew's investigation.

A painting of King Charles I walking to his execution — King Charles I walks to his execution in a 1754 painting.

Numerous other royals have been imprisoned over the centuries, including Mary, Queen of Scots, who was held prisoner between 1568 and 1587. However, as Storoschuk notes, Andrew's arrest will be unlike long-ago royals such as Mary, who were held in British castles.

"Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest certainly will be different from his predecessors, as he will not be held at a royal residence," she tells Marie Claire.

Other modern royals have had brushes with the law, but were not officially arrested. Princess Anne was prosecuted in 2002 when one of her dogs bit two boys in Windsor Great Park. Although she wasn't arrested, she pled guilty and was fined £500 in court.

Prince Phillip, who was 97 at the time, didn't face prosecution, but made numerous headlines and had to give up his driver's license when he hit a car on the Sandringham estate in 2019. Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, also lost her license for six months in 2020 after she was caught speeding.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.