Corruption, rape, and dangerous dogs. What were the monarchs accused of?

The younger brother of King Charles III, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has been detained in the UK. He is suspected of official misconduct related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. However, he is not the first representative of the royal families to be brought before the law. Other living monarchs have been responsible for crimes such as rape, corruption, and speeding. How kings and princes are brought to justice — in the Izvestia article.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (Great Britain)

• Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who previously held the titles of Prince and Duke of York, was arrested by police at his estate in Norfolk on February 19, his 66th birthday. Before him, members of the English royal family had not been detained since the middle of the 17th century, when King Charles I was accused of tyranny and treason, for which he was sentenced to death by beheading.

• The police statement says that Andrew is suspected of committing an official crime. He is being investigated in connection with the possible transfer of confidential information to American financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sexual crimes. From 2001 to 2011, Andrew served as the UK's special representative for International Trade and Investment, and, as recently released Epstein files have shown, it was during this time that they maintained friendly relations.

• Andrew's older brother, King Charles III, said he would give his full support to the investigation. He called for a full and impartial process and assured that "the law must prevail."

• The current investigation is unrelated to other allegations made against the former prince. In 2014, American Virginia Giuffre claimed that Epstein sold her to Andrew for sexual exploitation, and she had three forced contacts with him, including when she was still a minor. She filed a civil lawsuit against Andrew, which was settled out of court without an admission of guilt by the prince. Nevertheless, he was stripped of all royal honors and titles.

Son of Crown Princess Marius (Norway)

• Among the living members of the royal families, the most notorious charges have been brought against Marius Borg Heiby, the son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the adopted son of Prince Haakon, heir to the throne. In 2026, his trial began, as a result of which the 29-year-old man faces up to 16 years in prison.

• Habey is charged with a total of 38 counts, the main of which are four counts of raping women. Three incidents occurred before his arrest in August 2024, and another in November, while he was under investigation. The last of the victims said that the son of the Crown Princess raped her while she was sleeping and filmed the process on a mobile phone. 27 videos and four photographs were presented as evidence.

• The fourth rape occurred after a party at which Habey allegedly used cocaine and drank alcohol. Three other victims said that he abused them under similar circumstances, but they did not file a police report or claim that they had been physically coerced.

• Other charges include domestic violence, threatening with a knife, violating a restraining order, and transporting drugs. Habey has pleaded guilty to several minor violations, but denies any wrongdoing in the rapes. He is being held in an Oslo prison for the duration of his trial, which is scheduled to end in March.

Infanta Cristina (Spain)

• In 2014, Infanta Cristina, daughter of King Juan Carlos I of Spain and sister of future monarch Felipe VI, found herself in the dock on charges of tax fraud and money laundering. The reason for the proceedings was the scandal involving her husband, former handball player and Olympic medalist Inaki Urdangarin.

Epstein's files have led to high-profile resignations and criminal cases. What you need to know

• Urdangarin was accused of embezzling €6 million allocated by the state for the construction of the Palma Arena velodrome and the holding of competitions through his non-profit Noos foundation. Initially, he was sentenced to six years and three months in prison, then the term was reduced by five months, and after serving three years, Infanta's husband was released under the obligation of weekly visits to a correctional institution.

• Kristina also became a defendant in this case. The investigation suggested that she knew about her husband's machinations, but she denied it. During the proceedings, she was cleared of money laundering charges, and in 2017, the court found her not guilty of fraud. Cristina retained the title of Infanta and the right to claim the throne, however, due to her damaged reputation, Felipe VI stripped her of the title of duchess.

King Juan Carlos I of Spain

• Accusations also plagued Cristina's father, King Juan Carlos I of Spain. In 2014, he abdicated in favor of his son and continued to serve as a member of the royal family, but since 2018, unofficial accusations of the former monarch have begun to appear that he received kickbacks during the construction of a railway in Saudi Arabia and transferred money to a bank account. in Switzerland. Later, charges of other illegal frauds were added to this.

• These reports led to the prosecutor's office in Switzerland, and later in Spain, to launch an investigation against the former king. Despite the fact that Juan Carlos I has immunity from all acts committed before 2014, he went into self-imposed exile from Spain in 2020. He began to live permanently in the UAE, occasionally returning to his homeland to participate in sailing races. Over time, both Switzerland and Spain stopped all investigations.

Princess Anne (Great Britain)

Even before Andrew, the British royal family had problems with the law, although not as serious. His older sister, Princess Anne, appeared before a criminal court in 2002 on charges of violating the Dangerous Dogs Act. On April 1, she was walking dogs in a park near Windsor Castle, and her three-year-old bull terrier named Dottie bit two children.

The princess was threatened with imprisonment for up to six months, and her dog was euthanized, but the court did not severely punish the monarch. She received a fine of £500, and also paid £250 in compensation to the victim and £148 in court costs. Anna was also warned that if the incident happened again, her bull terrier would still be euthanized.

• Shortly before that, Anna had also been fined £400 for speeding. She accelerated her car to 93 mph (150 km/h) on a road with a speed limit of 70 mph (112 km/h). The daughter of Princess Zara also allowed careless driving. In 2020, she was stripped of her driver's license for six months and sentenced to pay £851.