Activists have placed a photograph in the Louvre museum in Paris showing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor being driven away from a police station following his arrest.
The British campaign group Everyone Hates Elon mounted the photo, which depicts the former prince slumped in the back of a Range Rover, on a wall in the Paris gallery on Sunday.
The image was taken by Reuters photographer Phil Noble after Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on Thursday at the Sandringham estate on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. He was subsequently held for 11 hours at Aylsham police station in Norfolk.
A card attached beneath the frame reads: “He’s Sweating Now” with the year 2026 below.
Everyone Hates Elon says it targets “billionaires and their politician mates” through provocative actions. These have previously included putting up posters in London featuring Manchester United footballers with the message: “immigration has done more for this city than billionaire tax dodgers ever have.” This was a response to comments by the club’s largest single shareholder, Jim Ratcliffe, who claimed the UK was being “colonised” by immigrants.
Activists from the group also displayed a large sign in Venice’s St Mark’s Square during Jeff Bezos’s wedding there, stating: “if you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax.”
The former Duke of York was arrested on Thursday, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. He faces allegations of sharing confidential government information with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. Emails released by the US Department of Justice in January appear to show him sharing reports from official visits.
Mountbatten-Windsor could not be reached for comment but has previously denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein. His association with the late disgraced financier led him to step down from royal duties, and he was stripped of his royal patronages in January 2022.
Police searches of Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home on the Windsor estate in Berkshire began on Thursday and were expected to finish on Monday.
There have been calls for Mountbatten-Windsor, who remains eighth in line to the throne, to be removed from the line of succession.
Speaking for the government on Sunday, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson did not rule out a judge-led inquiry into Andrew’s links with Epstein.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the incident where activists hung a photo of Andrew leaving police custody in the Louvre
Beginner General Questions
1 What actually happened
Activists from the group Sous les pavés la rage entered the Louvre museum in Paris and hung a modified photo on a wall The photo showed Prince Andrew leaving police custody edited to resemble the famous Mona Lisa painting
2 Who is Prince Andrew and why target him
Prince Andrew is a member of the British royal family He has been at the center of a major scandal involving his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual assault which he has denied but settled a civil case over in 2022
3 Why the Louvre Why not somewhere else
The Louvre is one of the worlds most famous and visited museums a global symbol of art and culture Placing the image there guaranteed massive media attention symbolically placing a figure from a modern scandal among historic masterpieces to critique power and impunity
4 Was the real Mona Lisa damaged
No The activists did not touch or approach the actual Mona Lisa painting which is behind protective glass They hung their own separate printed image on a different wall within the same gallery room
5 What did the activists want
Their primary goal was to protest what they see as the impunity of powerful men By placing Andrews image in the Louvre they aimed to spark public conversation about accountability privilege and how society treats allegations against influential figures
Advanced Detailed Questions
6 Who exactly were the activists
The group identified itself as Sous les pavés la rage This is a French activist collective known for targeted symbolic actions that blend art and political protest often focusing on issues of social justice and inequality
7 What was the legal consequence for the activists
They were quickly detained by Louvre security and handed over to French police They likely faced charges related to trespassing or unauthorized demonstration in a museum which could result in fines or other penalties under French law
8 How did they manage to do it in a secure museum
Museums like the Louvre while heavily secured against major threats are primarily designed to protect artifacts from damage or theft It is possible
