SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

British Royals

How The Queen reacted to Diana and Sarah’s ‘arrest’

One wouldn’t expect amusement when one’s told that two members of the British Royal Family have been arrested, but according to Sarah, Duchess of York, that’s exactly what happened in 1986.

The former royal shared the story of hers and Diana, Princess of Wales’s arrests at Sarah’s hen party a week before her wedding to Prince Andrew on the White Wine Question Time podcast last week.

“On my hen night we did dress up as policewomen and we were arrested by parks’ police,” Sarah revealed.

The duo was headed to Annabel’s, a private members club that was frequented by the British Royal Family, but were denied entrance in their costumes.

After their arrest, Sarah said that Diana “leant and ate [the police officer’s] smokey bacon crisps.”

The pair escaped arrest by flashing their rings, revealing their true identities. “And then we got off, eventually.”

The next day, Sarah said she was sent to meet with her future mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, calling it being “hauled in front of the boss.”

Queen Elizabeth, Sarah said, “did laugh” at the story.

Sarah also spoke of her deep friendship with the late Diana, recalling how the pair were wingwomen to each other. “We’re sort of distant cousins, you know, we’ve been friends all our lives and I loved her with all my heart… We had a great time together.”

About author

Jess Ilse is the Assistant Editor at Royal Central. She specialises in the British, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Royal Families and has been following royalty since Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Jess has provided commentary for media outlets in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Jess works in communications and her debut novel THE MAJESTIC SISTERS is now available.