Who Is The Only Member Of The Royal Family With A Criminal Record?

Like any family, the British royals have their fair share of skeletons in the closet. Prince Andrew’s friendship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and King Edward VIII’s admiration of Adolf Hitler are just two of the more unsavory things the Windsors would probably like to brush under the carpet.

While many of their fiercest critics would call for the British royal family to be jailed for “the crime” of leeching off the fat of the land, to this day, only one of the Windsors has got in trouble with the law to the point of receiving a criminal record.

Now before we find out who, studious royalists will know who it is not. The Mirror reports that Queen Elizabeth has sovereign immunity in the U.K., meaning no matter what she says or does, no civil or criminal proceedings cannot be brought against Her Highness.

Here’s another interesting little law that you’d imagine would have no place in a modern democracy. An arrest can never take place in the presence of Her Majesty. So no matter the crime, if they are hanging around Queen Elizabeth, criminals are as safe as houses from the long arm of the law.

Additionally, if any member of the royal family is anywhere near a palace, they cannot be taken into police custody.

So who exactly was the royal that landed themselves in hot water with the police? As it turns out, it’s Princess Anne.

The Express reports that in 2002 the Queen’s second child became the first senior royal to be convicted when her dog attacked two children. The incident, which has been described as a “very unfortunate episode,” involved Princess Anne’s English bull terrier, Ditty.

The vicious little mutt had apparently escaped from Princess Anne’s car and bit two unsuspecting children as they walked through a park in Windsor. The dog bit one of the fleeing children on the collarbone and leg, and the other traumatized child was left with scratch marks on their forearm, back, and leg.

Princess Anne pleaded guilty to not being in full control of a dangerous dog and was ordered to pay a fine and compensation to the victims.

The royal was also ordered to keep her dog on a lead in public places. The court’s ruling was perceived as far too lenient by some who called for Ditty to be put down.

Dog psychologist Dr. Roger Mugford argued that despite its savage and spontaneous attack on two children minding their own business in a public park, Ditty was an “utterly placid and a playful dog.”

The judge agreed and said as long as there no further incidents, Ditty would live to bite another day.