Wait, Can Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton Still Get Arrested If They Break the Law?
Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton inherited plenty of perks when they put on their respective tiaras and married into the British royal family, but there's one potential second-hand perk that's clearly better than the rest. Sovereign Immunity.
Under this law, the monarch (aka Queen Elizabeth) is immune from arrest NO MATTER WHAT. In other words, she's completely above the law. But to quote the royal family's website, "Although civil and criminal proceedings cannot be taken against the Sovereign as a person under UK law, The Queen is careful to ensure that all her activities in her personal capacity are carried out in strict accordance with the law."
So, what about members of the royal household, specifically Meghan, Kate, Harry, and William? They don't have blanket immunity like The Queen, but there certainly seem to be some loopholes. Apparently, not only does the massive legal encyclopedia that is Halsbury's Laws of England state that members of the royal household can't be arrested in civil proceedings, arrests can't go down in the monarch's presence, and arrests can't take place anywhere near a palace.
Either way, only the Queen is truly immune from repercussions (sorry, Meg, Kate, Harry, and William!), and if you want proof, look no further than Princess Anne, who was fined (and paid!), a £400 speeding ticket in 2001. And according to The Guardian, she "became the first member of the royal family to be convicted of a criminal offense" in 2002 when her dog attacked someone and she pleaded guilty to a charge under the "dangerous dogs act."
Welp, there you have it.
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