Former Prince Andrew the first member of royal family arrested since 1647

The arrest of the former Prince Andrew marks the first time since 1647 that a member of the royal family has been arrested.Andrew, who was arrested Thursday over his connection with child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, is the first royal since King Charles I was famously arrested and subsequently beheaded during the English Civil War.The two arrests come in two entirely different circumstances and will likely have entirely different outcomes.The arrest of King Charles I happened after the culmination of the English Civil War, in which Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians rose in rebellion against what they saw as a tyrannical monarch.After he was found guilty, Charles was beheaded, and the Kingdom of England became the Commonwealth of England, with Cromwell styled as the 'Lord Protector.'.The circumstances of Andrew's arrest are definitely a little different, but the magnitude of the arrest of a member of the royal family still makes this a historical event.It remains to be seen what will happen with Andrew, who has been charged on suspicion of misconduct while in public office. If found guilty, he may be sentenced to life in prison by a court that would bear the name of his brother, King Charles II.This time around the current King Charles will be the one doing the prosecuting, as in a statement released today the King said that during the investigation into his brother the prosecution will "have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation."Adding that, "Let me state clearly: the law must take its course."It seems that Andrew won't face as harsh a punishment as his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather; the death penalty is illegal in the United Kingdom, but looking down the barrel of the rest of his life behind bars, there are certainly parallels to be drawn despite the close to 400-year gap.

Former Prince Andrew the first member of royal family arrested since 1647

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