Today is a very interesting day in so many ways.
It’s an extraordinary day. It’s the first arrest of a royal, I think arguably until since the Duke of Monmouth, who had his head cut off in the 1680s for rebelling against James II, although George I, I believe, kept his wife locked up in a castle in Hanover for a bit.
But it’s also constitutionally fascinating, not just because of the effect on the king and on support for the monarchy, but because that great principle of English and subsequently British law has been upheld, that nobody is above the law.
And the King has clearly accepted that in the statement that he put out. His Majesty has said “I’ve learned with the deepest concern”, and to translate, deepest concern from a royal for anybody other than me is running around in absolute desperation.
Deepest concern is the highest level in royal statements of fear and trouble.
“Deepest concern, the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office. What now follows is the full, firm, proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. They have our full and wholehearted support and cooperation. Let me state clearly the law must take its course.”
And this is quite right. And this has been in our Constitution, it’s been something we have understood for centuries. It was written about by John Fortescue in the 15th century, and underpins what we think of ourselves as a nation.
So partly, though we should be embarrassed that a member of our Royal Family has had his collar felt by the police, nonetheless, we should be proud that our Constitution, our legal system, works properly.
Jacob Rees-Mogg reacts to the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
|
GB NEWS
This hasn’t, however, made the Royal Family popular. His Majesty has been heckled recently and I think was heckled again today.
And this, I think, is important and should encourage those of us who love the Constitution, because we’ve been threatened before. Think of Charles I, who had his head cut off.
For 11 years we were a republic, it was a disaster. We had the greatest dictatorship in this country that we’ve ever known under the awful Oliver Cromwell. George I didn’t speak much English and locked up his wife because she didn’t behave necessarily as he would have liked.
The Duke of Clarence, the younger brother of Edward IV and older brother of Richard III, he upset his brother, and it was easier in those days because Edward IV just had him drowned in a butt of Malmsey, according to legend in the Tower of London. I sometimes think that the King may wish, butts and Malmsey were more easily available in Norfolk than perhaps they are.
The last one I mentioned, the last arrest, the Duke of Monmouth, who was beheaded in the 1680s for the rebellion he created mainly in the West of England, in Somerset.
The execution on that occasion was not a very efficient one, and they hacked as his head for quite some time before he finished off the deed, and the next person to the block said I hope he will be a little swifter with me than you were with my Lord Monmouth.
So the monarchy has got through these problems before, it’s even got through the problem of Edward VIII, who had to abdicate, because monarchy matters to our constitution, in the 17th century you needed a king to lead.
In the 21st century, you need a king as a constitutional monarch. Somebody who adds unity to our nation, who is a symbol of our nation, who is there to ensure that politicians don’t get above themselves to be the long stop in case people abuse the constitutional privileges.
To maintain the Boghossian view that he must be consulted, that he can warn, and that he can encourage. That has helped our Constitution, it’s given it a great stability, strength, longevity.
It’s given us influence globally, as the king has been the primary, the principal, the main ambassador of this country abroad, and particularly to Donald Trump.
But for once, I agree with Sir Keir Starmer that no one is above the law. It is a fundamental principle. We now see that the former Prince Andrew has left prison in a very depressed state, looking a defeated, broken man.