In modern times, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is the first senior member of the British royal family to be arrested. The former prince was arrested on his 66th birthday, February 19, 2026.
No senior member of the British royal family had been arrested before in modern history. Before that, King Charles I was taken into custody in 1647 during the English Civil War.
After losing control in the Civil War, King Charles I surrendered to the Scots in 1646 after fleeing Oxford. He hoped they would support him, but for unpaid money they turned him over to the English Parliament.
In 1647 he was held at Hampton Court Palace. However, he later escaped with the help of supporters. King Charles I was soon recaptured and imprisoned at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight.
He was well treated there and secretly planned another rebellion. His actions led to the Second Civil War. In January 1649 he was tried at Westminster Hall for treason and found guilty. He was executed in Whitehall.
princess anne
Princess Anne was involved in a legal case in 2002, according to The Guardian. Andrew’s sister was convicted and fined under the Dangerous Dogs Act. It was after her dog bit two children in Windsor Great Park. However, Princess Anna was not arrested.
Princess Anne also has multiple speeding convictions. In 2001 she was fined £400 for driving at 93mph. She was not arrested then either.
The other kings
Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was involved in a car accident near the Sandringham estate in 2009. The Duke of Edinburgh was investigated by the police but was not arrested or charged. He surrendered his driver’s license voluntarily.
Zara Tindall, Princess Anne’s daughter, was banned from driving for six months in January 2020. This was after she racked up too many penalty points on her driving licence.
In November 2019 she was caught doing 91mph in a 70mph zone on the A417 in Gloucestershire. The offense added four points to her existing nine, bringing her total to 13. The limit for an automatic driving ban under UK law is 12.
Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court also fined her £817, including costs and a victim surcharge. Interestingly, its violation occurred on the road where Princess Anne was caught in 2001.
Can King Charles be arrested?
In 2021, Prince Charles was reportedly interviewed by police in 2005 as a witness during the inquest into Princess Diana’s death. The hearing was part of a three-year investigation led by former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Stevens.
Charles was asked about a note written by Diana in which she claimed she feared she would die in a planned car crash, which resulted in brake failure and a serious head injury. There were also rumors in the note that Charles wanted to marry his nanny. These claims were denied.
Now as monarch, King Charles enjoys sovereign immunity and cannot be sued in civil or criminal matters in the UK. However, Queen Camila has no such sovereign immunity.