Key Points:
Former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct on 19 February 2026.
400 years ago, King Charles I was tried for treason and executed in 1649, leading to the temporary abolition of the monarchy
British royals largely avoided serious legal consequences, with only minor incidents involving figures such as Princess Anne and Prince Philip.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was once second in line to the British throne. On 19 February 2026, the former prince and Duke of York was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office by Thames Valley Police. What followed were waves of headlines suggesting that the British royal family is on the brink of a downfall that was bound to happen sooner or later.
The controversy stems from the former Duke of York’s association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mountbatten’s reputation has been on a downward spiral in recent years. From being stripped of his royal titles to his recent brush with the law, the former prince, once a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth II, has left a dark stain on the royal image in modern history.
However, this is not the first instance in which a senior British royal has been arrested for committing a crime. Centuries ago, another British king was taken into custody, but he did not make it out of his predicament alive, he was beheaded. His name was King Charles I.
King Charles I of England was born on 1600 and is often credited with leading the British kingdoms into a wall during his reign over England, Ireland, and Scotland. Why? Some critics accuse Charles I of igniting the English Civil War (1642–1651). Charles was married to Henrietta Maria of France. The couple’s marriage resulted from an arrangement after Charles failed to marry Maria Anna, Infanta of Spain and Holy Roman Empress.
Charles’s wife, Queen Maria, was described in a painting by Van Dyck as a short woman “with irregular shoulders and teeth protruding from her mouth.”
Often regarded as an art lover, King Charles I collected over 2,000 paintings and sculptures. Despite his royal status and grand titles, many of his own people despised him. The people of his kingdom saw him as an arrogant, conceited, and self-centred figure who strongly believed in the doctrine of the divine right of kings.
The Divine Right of Kings was what led to the doom of King Charles I.
The doctrine argues that a monarch is above all earthly and human authorities, such as Parliament and the Pope. King Charles I was among the many royals who believed that their right to rule came from God himself. The doctrine stated that monarchs were not accountable to human authority or to the wishes of others, including the nobles.
The Divine Right of Kings further implies that only God has the authority to judge the actions of a king. The doctrine argued that it was nothing less than a sin to limit a king’s power or actions through human authority.
King Charles I became the King of England in 1625 and often clashed with the English Parliament. Many people disapproved of Charles’s methods as a ruler because he reportedly levied taxes without seeking Parliament’s approval. He fought against the armies of the English and Scottish parliaments in the English Civil War and was defeated in 1645 by Parliament’s New Model Army.
The King of England had to surrender to the Scottish army following his defeat and was later handed over to the English Parliament by the Scots.
But he remained adamant about the Divine Right of Kings and refused to allow Parliament to reduce his powers as a monarch. He escaped from captivity but was captured again in 1647.
Two years later, in 1649, he was put on trial and found guilty of treason. King Charles I was beheaded at the age of 48. The monarchy was abolished after his execution for several years but was restored in 1660 when his son and successor, Charles II, took over the title of king.
King Charles I became the first senior British royal to be executed by beheading. For the next few centuries, no member of the royal family had a serious brush with the law until now.
In modern times, Princess Anne and the late Prince Philip had brief encounters with the law for offences such as speeding and reckless driving. The current King of the United Kingdom and brother of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, King Charles III, was also questioned in connection with the death of people’s beloved Princess Diana, who died in 1997. The questioning followed allegations that King Charles III had plotted to kill Diana, Princess of Wales.
Cut to the present, another royal has allegedly succumbed to the temptation of committing a crime and getting away with it. On 19 February 2026, former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct on his birthday. Following his arrest, the King’s brother was released under investigation after about 11 hours in custody. For a brief period, the former Duke of York was held in custody without access to his royal privileges or luxuries.
Despite his past history with Jeffrey Epstein, will the former prince be further protected under sovereign immunity? Or will he meet a fate similar to that of his ancestors?
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